Definitions for forbear
ˈfɔrˌbɛərfor·bear

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. forebear, forbearverb

   a person from whom you are descended

2. forbear, hold backverb

   refrain from doing

   "she forbore a snicker"

3. refrain, forbearverb

   resist doing something

   "He refrained from hitting him back"; "she could not forbear weeping"

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. To Forbearverb

   1. To decline; to omit voluntarily.

   Forbear his presence, until time hath qualified the heat of his displeasure. William Shakespeare, King Lear.

   So angry bulls the combat do forbear
   When from the wood a lion does appear. Edmund Waller.

   2. To abstain from; to shun to do.

   If it passed only by the house of peers, it should be looked upon as invalid and void, and execution should be thereupon forborn or suspended. Edward Hyde, b. viii.

   There is not any one action whatsoever which a man ought to do, or to forbear, but the Scripture will give him a clear precept or prohibition for it. Robert South, Sermons.

   3. To spare; to treat with clemency.

   With all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love. Eph. iv. 2.

   4. To withold.

   Forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not. 2 Chro. xxxv. 21.

2. To FORBEARverb

   pret. I forbore, anciently forbare; part. forborn.

   Etymology: forbæran , Saxon.

   1. To cease from any thing; to intermit.

   The wolf, the lion, and the bear,
   When they their prey in pieces tear,
   To quarrel with themselves forbear. John Denham.

   2. To pause; to delay.

   I pray you, tarry: pause a day or two,
   Before you hazard; for in chusing wrong,
   I lose your company; therefore forbear a while. William Shakespeare.

   3. To omit voluntarily; not to do; to abstain.

   He forbare to go forth. 1 Sa. xxiii. 13.

   At this he started, and forbore to swear;
   Not out of conscience of the sin, but fear. John Dryden, Juv.

   Who can forbear to admire and adore him who weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance. George Cheyne.

   4. To restrain any violence of temper; to be patient.

   By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone. Prov. xxv. 15.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. forbear

   Forbear is a verb, which refers to the act of refraining or abstaining from something, usually from doing something undesirable or unpleasant. It can also mean to demonstrate patience or tolerance in a situation; or delay or hold back in terms of actions or decisions. In a different context, as a noun, forbear can also represent an ancestor or forefather.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Forbearnoun

   an ancestor; a forefather; -- usually in the plural

2. Forbearverb

   to refrain from proceeding; to pause; to delay

3. Forbearverb

   to refuse; to decline; to give no heed

4. Forbearverb

   to control one's self when provoked

5. Forbearverb

   to keep away from; to avoid; to abstain from; to give up; as, to forbear the use of a word of doubdtful propriety

6. Forbearverb

   to treat with consideration or indulgence

7. Forbearverb

   to cease from bearing

8. Etymology: [See Fore, and Bear to produce.]

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Forbear

   for-bār′, v.i. to keep one's self in check: to abstain.—v.t. to abstain from: to avoid voluntarily: to spare, to withhold.—n. Forbear′ance, exercise of patience: command of temper: clemency.—adjs. Forbear′ant, Forbear′ing, long-suffering: patient.—adv. Forbear′ingly. [A.S. forberan, pa.t. forbær, pa.p. forboren. See pfx. for- and bear.]

Matched Categories

1. • Refrain

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

1. 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How to pronounce forbear?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say forbear in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of forbear in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of forbear in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of forbear in a Sentence

1. Robert Burns:

   The great Creator to revereMust sure become the creatureBut still the preaching cant forbear,And ev'n the rigid featureYet ne'er with wits profane to rangeBe complaisance extendedAn atheist laugh's a poor exchangeFor deity offended.

2. Matthew Prior:

   Forbear to mention what thou canst not praise.

3. Thomas Carlyle:

   If those gentlemen would let me alone I should be much obliged to them. I would say, as Shakespeare would say... Sweet Friend, for Jesus sake forbear.

4. Samuel Johnson:

   There is no observation more frequently made by such as employ themselves in surveying the conduct of mankind, than that marriage, though the dictate of nature, and the institution of Providence, is yet very often the cause of misery, and that those who enter into that state can seldom forbear to express their repentance, and their envy of those whom either chance or caution hath withheld from it.

5. Stephen Shober:

   The mission before us as ambassadors is to assure peace among, as it were, the diplomatic corps of fellow ambassadors. Thus we are to walk in lowliness (humility) and meekness, which foster longsuffering and enable us to forbear one another in love.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=forbear
2. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=forbear
3. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
4. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forbear
5. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=forbear
6. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=forbear