Bear With Me | Meaning & Example Sentences
Bear with me is an expression meaning “be patient with me.” It’s typically used along with a conjunction (e.g., “as” or “while”) to explain why you’re asking for patience. It can also be used by itself when the reason is already known.
Bear with me or bare with me
“Bare with me” is often mistakenly used instead of bear with me, but it’s incorrect and should be avoided.
“Bear” is used as a verb meaning “carry” or “endure” in this expression (not as a noun referring to the animal). “Bare” is usually an adjective; it can also function as a verb meaning “uncover,” but that wouldn’t make sense in this expression.
Please bear with me
Please bear with me has the same meaning as the basic phrase, but it’s more polite. Another way to soften the phrase is to formulate it as a question, potentially also with “please.”
Bearing with me
Bearing with me is a version of the phrase with the participle “bearing.” It occurs, for example, when you’re thanking someone for their patience or referring to the action in general (rather than in the imperative).
Bear with us
The phrase can also become the plural bear with us when the speaker represents a group or organization.
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Frequently asked questions
- What does “please bear with me” mean?
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Please bear with me is a more polite version of the expression bear with me, meaning “have patience with me.”
It’s typically used along with a conjunction (e.g., “while”), to explain why you’re asking for patience (e.g., “please bear with me while I try to find the correct file”).
- What is a synonym of “bear with me”?
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Some synonyms for bear with me include:
- (Please) be patient
- (Please) hold on
- Just a moment
- (Please) stand by
- (Please) wait
- What does “bare with me” mean?
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“Bare with me” is a common misspelling of the phrase bear with me. While “bare” can be used as a verb meaning “uncover,” it doesn’t make sense in this phrase. The verb you need is “bear,” meaning “carry” or “endure.”
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