bear down

verb

bore down; borne down also born down; bearing down; bears down

transitive verb

: overcome, overwhelm

intransitive verb

: to exert full strength and concentrated attention

Phrases

bear down on

1

: emphasize

2

: to weigh heavily on : burden

Synonyms

• depress
• press
• shove
• weigh (on or upon)

Examples of bear down in a Sentence

you need to bear down on that cap a bit to get it to latch tightly

Recent Examples on the Web

Here are some must-haves for the savvy road traveler as old man winter bears down on us. —Josh Max, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024

When Hurricane Milton was bearing down on the Gulf Coast, about 1,000 families took shelter in the hotels, a spokeswoman said at the time. —Ryan Gillespie, Orlando Sentinel, 25 Nov. 2024

First, there’s a whole lot of moving and shaking on Andros as the hurricane begins to bear down on the island. —Erin Qualey, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2024

The Weather Prediction Center issued excessive rainfall risks beginning Nov. 19 and lasting through Nov. 22 as the strongest atmospheric river – long plumes of moisture stretching far over the Pacific Ocean – that California and the Pacific Northwest has seen this season bears down on the region. —Hallie Golden and Christopher Weber, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

bear down

verb

1

: overwhelm, overcome

2

: to press or weigh down

3

: to make an all-out effort

4

: to weigh heavily on : burden

Medical Definition

bear down

intransitive verb

(ˈ)ba(ə)r-ˈdau̇n, (ˈ)be(ə)r- 

: to contract the abdominal muscles and the diaphragm during childbirth