“Bare” vs. “Bear”: What Is The Difference?
Most people know the wordbear as a fuzzy noun: a massive mammal that makes for a beloved andcuddly toy. But what about the pain that some people know (all too well) whenbearing down if they have a hemorrhoid? Or is itbaring down that causes theunbearable burning?
What if I take my shoes off when I enter someone’s home—am I walking inside with mybare feet? Or is itbear feet? Or after a long day, am I putting in thebear minimum effort to get by or thebare minimum?
Let’s take a look at the difference betweenbare andbear to get a clearer picture and understand these two different words.
What doesbare mean?
Bare is an adjective that means “without covering or clothing; naked; nude.” For example:Some places of worship would prefer you to cover up your bare shoulders before coming inside.
When it comes to a space,bare can also refer to “without the usual furnishings, contents, etc.” For example:After his ex first moved out, it struck him how bare the apartment was without her belongings.
Butbare can also be used to describe something that’s “unconcealed or undisguised” as well as something that’s “unadorned or plain.” And with cloth specifically, it refers to material that’sthreadbare.
However, when used as a verb,bare is defined as “to open to view; reveal or divulge.” For example:During therapy she finally bared the childhood horrors that she’s suppressed for all of these years.
Bare‘s first recorded use was sometime before 900, and it originated from the Old English bær.It’s connected to the Old Frisianber, Dutch baar, German bar, Lithuanian bãsas (“barefoot”), and Russian bos.
Stark andbarren are bothsynonyms forbare as all three share “the sense of lack or absence of something that might be expected.”
What doesbear mean?
Bear is a verb that means “to hold up or support” something. For example:It may not look that strong, but that beam bears the weight of the second floor.
Bear can also mean “to hold or remain firm under a heavy load.” For example: As a strong mom, she bears the weight of the world on her shoulders while shielding her kids from ever seeing the strain.
There are also multiple verb phrases involvingbear (and neverbare) that will sound familiar. These include tobear down, tobearoff, tobearon, tobearout, tobearup, and tobearwith.
Bear’s first recorded use was also before 900, via the Middle Englishberenand Old English beran.Synonyms forbearincludestand andendure as all three refer to supporting the burden of something.
How to usebearvs.bare
If you’re referring to something that’s naked, exposed, or stark, the right choice isbare. Some examples exclude:
- The wedding dress was too revealing for her conservative taste since it featured abare midriff and a plunging neckline.
- Thebare walls were a constant reminder that this rental wasn’t his home and was only temporary.
- All it took was for the grumpy old cat tobare his teeth and the little boy immediately ran away.
But if you’re referring to sustaining, upholding, or supporting something, that’s whenbear comes into play. For example:
- After the hurricane, the house was in shambles, and it didn’t look like the walls would bear the roof’s weight much longer.
Althoughbare andbear are often mixed up, one way to cut down on confusion is by keeping this trick in mind: when used as a verb, think ofbare as uncovering or revealing. For example:the robberbared his weapon orthe doctor asked the patient tobare his abdomen for the examination.
But if it’s not about exposing something, then for everything else your best bet is to stick tobear. Some examples include:bearing down during birth andpleasebear with me while I get these papers together.
And if it’s the large wild animal rummaging through your trash at 3 a.m.? I think itbears repeating that that is abear, and you should probably lock your trash at night.
Want some more like this? Venture into more interesting articles likeuncharted vs. uncharteredandbreach vs. breech!
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