MEANING
To hold back from doing something.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- forbear from comment
On the page
She forbore from comment.
He had forborne answering the insult.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- forbear
- Past tense
- forbore
- Past participle
- forborne
- Present participle
- forbearing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- forbear
- Present continuous
- am/is/are forbearing
- Present perfect
- have/has forborne
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been forbearing
- Past
- forbore
- Past continuous
- was/were forbearing
- Past perfect
- had forborne
- Past perfect continuous
- had been forbearing
- Future
- will forbear
- Future continuous
- will be forbearing
- Future perfect
- will have forborne
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been forbearing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Explore related collections
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: forbear; forbears; forbore; forborne; forbearing Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: forbears.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.