BEAR DOWN

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does bear down mean? 

• BEAR DOWN (verb)
  The verb BEAR DOWN has 6 senses:

1. exert a force with a heavy weight

2. contract the abdominal muscles during childbirth to ease delivery

3. to make a rush at or sudden attack upon, as in battle

4. exert full strength

5. pay special attention to

6. exert a force or cause a strain upon

  Familiarity information: BEAR DOWN used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BEAR DOWN (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Exert a force with a heavy weight

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

bear down; bear down on; drag down; press down on; weigh down

Context example:

The snow bore down on the roof

Hypernyms (to "bear down" is one way to...):

press (exert pressure or force to or upon)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Contract the abdominal muscles during childbirth to ease delivery

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

bear down; overbear

Hypernyms (to "bear down" is one way to...):

compact; compress; constrict; contract; press; squeeze (squeeze or press together)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sense 3

Meaning:

To make a rush at or sudden attack upon, as in battle

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

bear down; charge

Context example:

he saw Jess charging at him with a pitchfork

Hypernyms (to "bear down" is one way to...):

rush (attack suddenly)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 4

Meaning:

Exert full strength

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Context example:

The pitcher bore down

Hypernyms (to "bear down" is one way to...):

contend; fight; struggle (be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight)

Domain category:

ball; baseball; baseball game (a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sense 5

Meaning:

Pay special attention to

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

The lectures bore down on the political background

Hypernyms (to "bear down" is one way to...):

accent; accentuate; emphasise; emphasize; punctuate; stress (to stress, single out as important)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Sense 6

Meaning:

Exert a force or cause a strain upon

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

This tax bears down on the lower middle class

Hypernyms (to "bear down" is one way to...):

burden; charge; saddle (impose a task upon, assign a responsibility to)

Sentence frame:

Something is ----ing PP

 Context examples 

By George, lass, when this leg of mine is sound we’ll bear down for a spell to Brighton, and if there is a smarter frock than yours upon the Steyne, may I never tread a poop again.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)