Bear and forbear.
Bear and forbear.
Meaning in plain English
Endure ordinary difficulties and show restraint toward other people’s faults. Patience and mutual tolerance can keep small frictions from becoming repeated quarrels.
Example
Housemates discuss a forgotten cleaning turn calmly and swap tasks for the week instead of treating the mistake as a personal insult.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Bear suggests carrying or enduring a difficulty; forbear suggests holding back from an impatient response. Together they ask for two related kinds of restraint: accepting that life brings inconvenience and resisting the urge to punish every irritation. The saying can help people sharing a home, workplace or project allow for imperfect habits and occasional mistakes. It is most useful where goodwill and a fair arrangement already exist. Endurance is not the same as consenting to mistreatment. A situation that repeatedly harms someone may call for a clear boundary or change rather than further tolerance.
When to use it
Use it to encourage patience with ordinary imperfections in a shared situation.
Keep in mind
Tolerance should be mutual and should not require enduring abuse or persistent unfairness.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-03. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 81 · Bear
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗