| / English Dictionary |
BEAR DOWN
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (verb)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Exert a force or cause a strain upon
Example:
This tax bears down on the lower middle class
Classified under:
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing
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
Sense 2
Meaning:
Pay special attention to
Example:
The lectures bore down on the political background
Classified under:
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing
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 3
Meaning:
Exert full strength
Example:
The pitcher bore down
Classified under:
Verbs of fighting, athletic activities
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 4
Meaning:
To make a rush at or sudden attack upon, as in battle
Example:
he saw Jess charging at him with a pitchfork
Synonyms:
bear down; charge
Classified under:
Verbs of fighting, athletic activities
Hypernyms (to "bear down" is one way to...):
rush (attack suddenly)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Sense 5
Meaning:
Contract the abdominal muscles during childbirth to ease delivery
Synonyms:
bear down; overbear
Classified under:
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging
Hypernyms (to "bear down" is one way to...):
compact; compress; constrict; contract; press; squeeze (squeeze or press together)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s
Sense 6
Meaning:
Exert a force with a heavy weight
Example:
The snow bore down on the roof
Synonyms:
bear down; bear down on; drag down; press down on; weigh down
Classified under:
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging
Hypernyms (to "bear down" is one way to...):
press (exert pressure or force to or upon)
Sentence frame:
Something ----s something
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