forbear
/fɔɹˈbɛɚ/verb, noun
forbear is spelled F-O-R-B-E-A-R: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 10 million words in written English, the 93,703rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, forbear means “To keep away from; to avoid; to abstain from” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in forbear?
| Letters | 7: F-O-R-B-E-A-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 10 million words; the 93,703rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is forbear?
Forbear appears about once in every 10 million words in written English, the 93,703rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce forbear?
- UK /fɔːˈbɛə/
- US /fɔɹˈbɛɚ/
As a noun (“Alternative spelling of forebear”): /ˈfɔː.bɛə/, /ˈfɔɹ.bɛɚ/.
Forbear has 2 syllables (counted from the pronunciation).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-forbear.ogg, En-au-forbear.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with forbear?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as forbear from its last stressed vowel (/ɛəɹ/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of forbear
- forbears present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- forbearing participle, present
- forbore past
- forborne participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does forbear mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To keep away from; to avoid; to abstain from.
- 2
To refrain from proceeding; to pause; to delay.
- 3
To refuse; to decline; to withsay; to unheed.
- 4
To control oneself when provoked.
noun
- 1
Alternative spelling of forebear.
[1906] 2004, Memoirs of the Lord of Joinville, Ethel Wedgwood tr. Sirs, I am quite sure that the King of England's forbears rightly and justly lost the conquered lands that I hold …
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Forbear in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | éviter, s'abstenir , ajourner, refréner, réfréner , refuser |
| Spanish | abstenerse , retenerse |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.