VividLex

Home / Thesaurus / forbear

Thesaurus: forbear

An ancestor; a forefather; -- usually in the plural.

Full dictionary entry Search Lens associations

Related headwords

Definitions

  1. n. An ancestor; a forefather; -- usually in the plural.
  2. v. i. To refrain from proceeding; to pause; to delay.
  3. v. i. To refuse; to decline; to give no heed.
  4. v. i. To control one's self when provoked.
  5. v. t. To word/keep">keep word/away">away from; to avoid; to abstain from; to give up; as, to forbear the use of a word of doubdtful propriety.
  6. v. t. To treat with consideration or indulgence.
  7. v. t. To cease from bearing.
  8. n. a person from whom you are descended
  9. v. refrain from doing
  10. v. resist doing something
  11. An ancestor; a forefather; -- usually in the plural. [Scot.] "Your forbears of old." Sir W. Scott. 1. To refrain from proceeding; to pause; to delay. Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear 1 Kinds xxii. 6. 2. To refuse; to decline; to give no heed. Thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear. Ezek. ii. 7. 3. To control one's self when provoked. The kindest and the happiest pair Will find occasion to forbear. Cowper. Both bear and forbear. Old Proverb. 1. To keep away from; to avoid; to abstain from; to give up; as, to forbear the use of a word of doubdtful propriety. But let me that plunder forbear. Shenstone. The King In open battle or the tilting field Forbore his own advantage. Tennyson. 2. To treat with consideration or indulgence. Forbearing one another in love. Eph. iv. 2. 3. To cease from bearing. [Obs.] Whenas my womb her burden would forbear. Spenser.
  12. An ancestor; a forefather; -- usually in the plural. [Scot.]"Your forbears of old." Sir W. Scott.