Bear or bare
Is the phrase bear with me or bare with me? Also known as the difference between asking someone if they’re naked, or politely asking them to be patient while you figure something out.
Don’t mess this one up, folks! Keep reading to learn how to use the phrases “bear with me” and “bear with me.”
Is it “bare with” or “bear with”?
| Examples with the verb “bear” | Examples with “bare” |
| I can’t bear seeing you cry. | I opened the box with my bare hands. |
The word bear
The word bear can be both a noun and a verb, but not simultaneously in a sentence:
- The noun is the wild animal, such as the Grizzly or Polar bear.
- As a verb, bear means to endure or tolerate something usually unpleasant.
Answer: The verb (“to bear”) is the correct spelling for the phrase “bear with me“, and similar contexts of the verb bear (e.g., “to bear in mind”).
Bare (adjective)
On the other hand, something (or someone) that’s bare is uncovered or empty (‘the fridge was completely bare‘). In other words, ‘bare’ is an adjective, whereas ‘bear’ is mostly a verb.
Note: The adjective bare also describes something as basic or essential, as in the popular phrase, the bare necessities.
Bare & bear in sentences
| Sentences with the adjective bare |
She likes to walk around in bare feet. The windows looked out onto a bare field. The walls were bare except for a clock. |
| Sentences with the verb bear |
She couldn’t bear the thought of losing him. We could hardly bear to be outdoors in the blinding sunlight. How can you bear this awful noise? |
In review: bear or bare
Though we spell and pronounce it the same as the noun, aka the Grizzly bear, they are distinct in meaning.
Bear is mostly a verb that means to endure or carry the burden of something that’s usually difficult or unpleasant; “to be able to accept and deal with something unpleasant,” as the online dictionary states.
If you have trouble remembering the correct word, try to associate ‘bear’ with the wild animal; “bare” is similar to “basic” and starts with the letters b and a.
Phrases with bear and bare
| Phrases with “bear” | Meaning |
|---|---|
| to bear arms | to carry a gun or a weapon |
| to bear a resemblance | to look similar to someone |
| as busy as a hibernating bear | meaning not busy |
| Phrases with bare | Meaning |
|---|---|
| bare bones | Meaning meaning only the essentials or minimum of something. |
| bare necessities | To have only what is needed or necessary; just enough or sufficient. |
| bare naked | Meaning nude; naked. |
| bare minimum | To do the smallest or least amount possible. |
| to bare one’s breasts | To leave yourself open or vulnerable to something/someone. |
| to bare one’s teeth | To display anger or a threatening reaction to something/someone. |
Read about other confusing words
Sources
- Bare, Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, accessed on October 4, 2023.
- Bear, Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, accessed on October 4, 2023.
- Wikipedia contributors. “Grizzly bear.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 29 Jan. 2024. Web. 31 Jan. 2024.
- Idioms with bare, The Free Dictionary
