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bear down

bear down
B b

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [bair doun]
    • /bɛər daʊn/
    • /beə(r) daʊn/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [bair doun]
    • /bɛər daʊn/

Definitions of bear down words

  • phrasal verb bear down If someone or something bears down on you, they move quickly towards you in a threatening way. 3
  • phrasal verb bear down To bear down on something means to push or press downwards with steady pressure. 3
  • verb bear down to press or weigh down 3
  • verb bear down to approach in a determined or threatening manner 3
  • verb bear down (of a vessel) to make an approach (to another vessel, obstacle, etc) from windward 3
  • verb bear down (of a woman during childbirth) to exert a voluntary muscular pressure to assist delivery 3

Information block about the term

Origin of bear down

First appearance:

before 900
One of the 4% oldest English words
before 900; Middle English beren, Old English beran; cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German beran, Dutch baren, Old Frisian, Old Norse bera, Gothic bairan, German (ge)bären, Russian berët (he) takes, Albanian bie, Tocharian pär-, Phrygian ab-beret (he) brings, Latin ferre, Old Irish berid (he) carries, Armenian berem, Greek phérein, Sanskrit bhárati, Avestan baraiti; < Indo-European *bher- (see -fer, -phore)

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Bear down

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

bear down popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 98% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

bear down usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for bear down

verb bear down

  • approach — When you approach something, you get closer to it.
  • near — close; to a point or place not far away: Come near so I won't have to shout.
  • press — to force into service, especially naval or military service; impress.
  • weigh down — to determine or ascertain the force that gravitation exerts upon (a person or thing) by use of a balance, scale, or other mechanical device: to weigh oneself; to weigh potatoes; to weigh gases.

See also

Matching words

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