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.

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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.

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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 organisation.

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Other interesting language articles

If you want to know more about commonly confused words, definitions, and differences between US and UK spellings, make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.

Frequently asked questions

What does ‘please bear with me’ mean?

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’).

Scribbr’s Free Grammar Checker can help ensure you’re using phrases like ‘bear with me’ correctly in your writing.

Bear and bare are often confused, but in this case, ‘bear with me’ is the only correct spelling.

What is a synonym of ‘bear with me’?

Some synonyms for bear with me include:

• (Please) be patient
• (Please) hold on
• Just a moment
• (Please) stand by
• (Please) wait

Scribbr’s Paraphrasing Tool can help you find even more synonyms for ‘bear with me’.

Bear and bare are often confused, but in this case, ‘bear with me’ is the only correct spelling.

What does ‘bare with me’ mean?

‘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’.

Scribbr’s Free Grammar Checker can help ensure you’re using phrases like ‘bear with me’ correctly in your writing.