Phrasal verb
bear up under
Definition
phrasal verb. to stay strong and keep going when you are dealing with a lot of stress or a very difficult situation.
phrasal verb. to maintain one's spirits or composure while enduring significant pressure, grief, or hardship; often used to describe emotional resilience.
Examples
“She is bearing up under the pressure of her new job.”
“The family is bearing up under the weight of their recent loss with remarkable courage and grace.”
“Despite the relentless scrutiny from the press, the minister appeared to be bearing up under the strain of the investigation.”
Examples
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.”
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.
Phrasal verb
Particles
up under
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
bear + up + under + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/bear-up-under