ENGLISH
REFERENCE

bear up under

phr. v..
C1 Advanced Oxford

phr. v.. to stay strong and keep going when you are dealing with a lot of stress or a very difficult situation.

phr. v.. to maintain one's spirits or composure while enduring significant pressure, grief, or hardship; often used to describe emotional resilience.


SIMPLE

She is bearing up under the pressure of her new job.

CONTEXTUAL

The family is bearing up under the weight of their recent loss with remarkable courage and grace.

COMPLEX

Despite the relentless scrutiny from the press, the minister appeared to be bearing up under the strain of the investigation.

Particles
up under
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
bear + up + under + object
Usage

usually followed by a noun representing a burden, such as 'pressure', 'strain', or 'weight'.

Teaching tip

this is a more formal and literary alternative to 'cope with'; the image of 'bearing' (carrying) a weight 'up' (keeping it from falling) helps students visualize the resilience.

Pitfall

He is bearing up the pressure.He is bearing up under the pressure.the preposition 'under' is necessary to show that the person is beneath the weight of the difficulty.

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