forbear
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /fɔːˈbɛə/
ipa: /fɔɹˈbɛɚ/
rhymes: -ɛə(ɹ)
Forms: form: forbears
form: forbearing
form: forbore
form: forborne
form: forborn
form: forebear
Etymology: From Middle English forberen, from Old English forberan (“to forbear, abstain from, refrain; suffer, endure, tolerate, humor; restrain; do without”), from Proto-Germanic *fraberaną (“to hold back, endure”); equivalent to for- + bear. Cognate with Old Frisian forbera (“to forfeit”), Middle High German verbërn (“to have not; abstain; refrain from; avoid”) (Cimbrian forbèeran), Gothic 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌰𐌽 (frabairan, “to endure”).
Senses: examples: text: Mr. Sheriff, I desire that this manacling may be forborn: if you please to clap a guard of a hundred men upon us, I shall pay for it. This is not only a disgrace to me, but in general to all soldiers; which doth more trouble me than the loss of my life.
ref: 1649, “185. The Trial of Colonel John Morris, Governor of Pontefract Castle; at the Assizes at the Castle of York, before Mr. John Puleston, and Mr. Baron Thorpe, Justices of Assize, for High Treason: […]”, in [William] Cobbett, editor, Cobbett’s Complete Collection of State Trials and Proceedings for High Treason and Other Crimes and Misdemeanours from the Earliest Period to the Present Time, volume IV, London: Printed by Thomas Curson Hansard, […]; published by R. Bagshaw [et al.], published 1809, →OCLC, column 1266:
text: The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
 the sun forbear to shine
ref: 1779, John Newton, “Amazing Grace”:
text: Poor Arabs wondered why I had no mare; I forbore to puzzle them by incomprehensible talk of hardening myself, or confess I would rather walk than ride for sparing of animals:
ref: 1926, T.E. Lawrence, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, New York: Anchor, published 1991, page 170:
text: For his part, Tharoor cannot forbear to praise the achievements of men like Arthur Cotton, whose Godavari Delta irrigation scheme remains much as he left it in 1852.
ref: 2017 September 7, Ferdinand Mount, “Umbrageousness”, in London Review of Books:
glosses: To keep away from; to avoid; to abstain from.
examples: text: Por[tia]. I pray you tarrie, pauſe a day or two
 Before you hazard, for in chooſing wrong
 I looſe your companie ; therefore forbeare a while, /[...]
ref: c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], page 173:
text: Then the king of Iſrael gathered the prophets together about foure hundred men, and ſaid vnto them, Shall I goe againſt Ramoth Gilead to battell, or ſhall I forbeare? [...]
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Kings 22:6:
glosses: To refrain from proceeding; to pause; to delay.
examples: text: And thou ſhalt ſpeake my words vnto them, whether they will heare or whether they will forbeare, for they are moſt rebellious.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ezekiel 2:7:
glosses: To refuse; to decline; to withsay; to unheed.
examples: text: The kindest and the happiest pair
 Will find occasion to forbear.
ref: 1782, William Cowper, “Mutual Forbearance”, in Poems, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], →OCLC:
glosses: To control oneself when provoked.
Derived terms: forbearable
forbearance
forbearant
forbearer
forbearing
forbearingly