noun

bear market

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Bear market (noun) means a period in which the prices of shares or other investments fall substantially and stay down, commonly counted from the point where prices have dropped about twenty per cent below a recent peak. Example: “The index slipped into a bear market after four months of steady losses.”

noun

A period in which the prices of shares or other investments fall substantially and stay down, commonly counted from the point where prices have dropped about twenty per cent below a recent peak.

"The index slipped into a bear market after four months of steady losses."

"Anyone who started investing that year had never lived through a bear market."

adjective

attributive Describing behaviour, sentiment or conditions belonging to such a falling market. Usually written as bear-market before a noun.

"It was classic bear-market behaviour: everybody selling on the same headline."

How to use bear market

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA long stretch where investments are worth noticeably less than they were.

When to use it

Standard journalistic and financial usage in all registers. Its opposite, bull market, is used just as freely.

Memory tip

Remember the pair by the direction the animal moves: a bear swipes down, a bull tosses its horns up.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

bull market → correction → crash → recession →

Common pairings

enter a bear market brutal bear market bear-market rally the last bear market

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

Test yourself on “bear market” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The index slipped into a _____ after four months of steady losses.

Etymology

From bear, long used in English stock-market slang for someone selling in expectation of falling prices, plus market.

Origin: English

Synonyms

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market downturn slump market decline sell-off bearish down-market

Antonyms

bull market bull-market bullish

Related words

depression decline bull decrease sink recession slack slump

Rhymes for bear market

market supermarket

See all rhymes for bear market →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a bear market and a correction?

Both describe falling prices, and the usual dividing line is depth. A drop of roughly ten per cent from a recent high is generally called a correction; once the fall reaches about twenty per cent, commentators start calling it a bear market. The figures are conventions used by the financial press, not official definitions.

Why is a falling market called a bear?

Bear was already stock-exchange slang in English for a trader betting on prices going down long before bull became its standard opposite. Popular explanations involving bears swiping downwards with their paws are memorable, but they are folk explanations rather than documented history.

Does a bear market mean a recession?

No. A bear market is about the price of investments; a recession is about the wider economy shrinking. The two often overlap and share causes, but share prices can fall sharply while the economy keeps growing, and the reverse can happen too.

What is the meaning of bear market?

"bear market" (noun) means a period in which the prices of shares or other investments fall substantially and stay down, commonly counted from the point where prices have dropped about twenty per cent below a recent peak.

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