• Business
  • Finance
  • Banking
  • Education
  • General
  • Law
  • Science
  • IT
  • English

Key Differences

Know the Differences & Comparisons

Difference Between Bear and Bare

Last updated on February 7, 2019 by Surbhi S

bear vs bareThe words ‘bear’ and ‘bare’ are homonyms which are pronounced exactly similar, but they are spelt differently and also differs in their meanings. While the word ‘bear’ has multiple meanings, ‘bare’ has only one meaning. When something is not properly clothed or covered, we mean ‘bare‘.

On the other hand, ‘bear‘ usually refers to tolerate or carry something. Let’s have a look at the examples given below:

  • If you touch the wire with bare hands, when the switch is on, you have to bear the electric shock.
  • I can’t bear running with bare feet.

From the above examples, you might have observed that the word ‘bear’ and ‘bare’ are used at different places. While the word bare means naked in both the cases, bear means to handle or tolerate.

Content: Bear Vs Bare

  1. Comparison Chart
  2. Definition
  3. Key Differences
  4. Examples
  5. How to remember the difference

Comparison Chart

Basis for ComparisonBearBare
MeaningBear has two meanings, i.e. either it refers to an animal or it means to carry or tolerate something.Bare refers to something that lacks usual covering, i.e. naked, exposed to view or reveal.
Part of speechNoun and VerbAdjective and Verb
VerbIrregular verbRegular verb
ExamplesI saw a brown bear rubbing himself against the tree. One should wear loose clothes and bare feet to exercise.
Joe can't bear the sight of trees being cut off.He cleaned the floor with bare hands.
The man bore all the hardships, just to get successful.Kate bared her teeth and laughed at the joke.

Definition of Bear

The word ‘bear’ can be used in two ways, i.e. firstly it can be used as a noun which refers to a wild furry omnivores mammal having a short tail, that moves on the sole of its feet.

Secondly, it can be used as a verb to mean carry, tolerate or endure something, which is not at all pleasant or you don’t like it. It is an irregular verb whose simple past and past participle form is the bore and borne respectively. Let’s have a look at the points presented below to understand its usage:

As a noun

  1. It refers to a large wild animal, belonging to the dog family:
    • I saw a bear going that way in the jungle.
    • My little cousin loves to play with teddy bears.

As a verb

  1. It means to carry, support or tolerate:
    • Please tell me about your results, I can’t bear the suspense.
    • He can’t bear to see his mother crying.
    • Make the food as spicy as you can bear.
  2. To have something:
    • The actress bears a clear resemblance to my friend.
    • The incident bears all the cues of murder.
  3. To hold or support:
    • The carry bag is too thin to bear the weight of 1 kg potatoes.
  4. To be called by a name or title:
    • Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel bore the title – The Iron Man of India.
  5. To give birth to or deliver:
    • The banana tree which we planted two years back, will bear fruit this year.
    • The cow bore six puppies last month.
  6. Carry oneself:
    • The bride bore herself with grace on her wedding day.
  7. To take responsibility for something:
    • The manager was entitled to bear the responsibility of his men.
  8. To pay for something:
    • According to the contract, the buyer has to bear the expense, in case of an accident.

Definition of Bare

The word ‘bare’ is used for indicating something which is open to view i.e. without cover, clothing i.e. naked, exposed. It may also refer to something that is without any addition, i.e. straightforward, plain or basic. Let’s look at the points below to understand its meaning:

As an adjective

  1. It refers to uncovered:
    • He bared his knee infront of the doctor to show his injury due to the accident.
    • Don’t touch the microwave oven with bare hands, when it is switched on.
  2. It also indicates simple and plain:
    • I just asked for bare details of the function.
    • The author highlighted the bare facts of the incident.
  3. It may also mean empty:
    • You can keep your personal stuff in the bare drawer.
  4. Mere:
    • The destination is bare two kilometres away.

As a verb:

  1. It refers to expose or uncover something:
    • The students are asked to bare their feet, as they entered the computer lab.

As an adverb or determiner:

  1. It may mean very much, a lot of or a large number of:
    • The newly hired employee has bare tasks to perform.
    • You are bare stubborn.

Key Differences Between Bear and Bare

The difference between bear and bare are presented below in the points:

  1. The word ‘bear’ may refer to a wild furry mammal, or it may refer to carry or endure something, which is really hard to do. As against, the word ‘bare’ is used to refer something which lacks natural or appropriate covering, i.e. naked or exposed. It is also used to indicate plain or basic, i.e. without any addition or decoration.
  2. While bear can be used as a noun and verb, bare can be used as a verb, adjective, adverb and determiner.
  3. The word ‘bear’ is an irregular verb, whose simple past and past participle form is bore and borne. On the other hand, ‘bare’ is a regular verb whose past tense form is bared.

Examples

Bear

  • You can find Polar bears at the North Pole.
  • Ali can’t bear to see her mom in pain.
  • Every new legal tender issued by the central bank bears the signature of Governor.

Bare

  • The hotel’s room was clean and bare.
  • When I saw the accident I rushed to the ground with bare feet and injured.
  • The resolution passed at the meeting by a bare majority.

How to remember the difference

A tip to use the words bear and bare correctly in sentences is that, if you want an adjective, related to uncovering use ‘bare’ whereas if you require a verb related to carrying or supporting, use ‘bear’.

Related Differences

  • Difference Between Coordinating and Subordinating Conjunction
  • Difference Between Intermediate Goods and Final Goods
  • Difference Between Investment and Speculation
  • Difference Between Commercial Bank and Development Bank
  • Difference Between Journalism and Mass Communication

You Might Also Like:

Regular Vs Irregular VerbsDifference Between Regular and Irregular Verbs Past vs PassedDifference Between Passed and Past Difference Between Bring and Take Already vs All readyDifference Between Already and All ready lay vs lieDifference Between Lay and Lie bull vs bear marketDifference Between Bull and Bear Market

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Top 5 Differences

  • Difference Between PERT and CPM
  • Difference Between Micro and Macro Economics
  • Difference Between Developed Countries and Developing Countries
  • Difference Between Management and Administration
  • Difference Between Qualitative and Quantitative Research

Related Differences

  • Difference Between Coordinating and Subordinating Conjunction
  • Difference Between Intermediate Goods and Final Goods
  • Difference Between Investment and Speculation
  • Difference Between Commercial Bank and Development Bank
  • Difference Between Journalism and Mass Communication



New Additions

  • Difference Between Speak and Talk
  • Difference Between Economy Class and Business Class
  • Difference Between If and Whether
  • Difference Between Hotel and Motel
  • Difference Between FIR and Chargesheet
  • Difference Between Norms and Values
  • Difference Between Society and Community
  • Difference Between Sourcing and Procurement
  • Difference Between National Income and Per Capita Income
  • Difference Between Departmental Store and Multiple Shops
fb-follow youtube follow

Copyright © 2023 · Key Differences · Contact Us · About Us · Privacy