bear with: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
HighSemi-formal to formal; polite/neutral register.
Quick answer
What does “bear with” mean?
To be patient with someone or something.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To be patient with someone or something; to endure something temporarily.
To ask or wait for someone's patience while a task is completed, a problem is resolved, or while dealing with a minor difficulty or inconvenience. Often used as a polite request.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is identical in meaning and frequency. Spelling: both use 'bear with' (not 'bare with', which is a common error).
Connotations
Identical polite/neutral connotation in both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly more common in spoken business/presentation contexts in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “bear with” in a Sentence
bear with + [direct object: person/group] (e.g., me, him, the team)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bear with” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- If you'll just bear with me, I'll find the document in the system.
- Bear with the queue; they're opening another till.
American English
- Bear with me a moment while I pull up your file.
- We appreciate you bearing with us during this website update.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in meetings, presentations, or emails to ask for patience while technical issues are fixed or information is retrieved: 'Bear with us while we pull up the Q3 figures.'
Academic
Used by lecturers or in formal discussions: 'Bear with me as I navigate through these complex slides.'
Everyday
Used in conversation when searching for something, explaining, or dealing with a minor hiccup: 'Bear with me, I just need to find my keys.'
Technical
Used in IT support or live troubleshooting: 'Please bear with us, the server is rebooting.'
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bear with”
- Misspelling as 'bare with'.
- Incorrect separation: 'Bear me with for a second.' (Correct: 'Bear with me for a second.')
- Using it for long-term endurance instead of a short request: 'I had to bear with his rudeness for years.' (Better: 'I had to put up with his rudeness.')
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is semi-formal to formal. It's perfectly polite for business and everyday use. For very casual situations, 'hang on' or 'just a sec' might be used instead.
The most common error is spelling it as 'bare with', which is incorrect and has a completely different (and inappropriate) meaning.
No, it's typically used for short, temporary delays or inconveniences. For long-term endurance, synonyms like 'put up with', 'tolerate', or 'endure' are more appropriate.
No, the object can change depending on context: 'bear with him', 'bear with the team', 'bear with us'. 'Bear with me' is simply the most frequent form.
To be patient with someone or something.
Bear with: in British English it is pronounced /ˌbeə ˈwɪð/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌber ˈwɪθ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Bear with me, I'm getting to the point.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a large bear (animal) being surprisingly patient and waiting calmly. You ask others to 'BEAR with' you, meaning to be as patient as that bear.
Conceptual Metaphor
PATIENCE IS CARRYING A BURDEN (The listener is asked to temporarily 'carry' the weight of the speaker's delay or problem).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the CORRECT usage of 'bear with'?