Forbear
/fɔːrˈbɛr/noun
To refrain from doing something, especially from responding to provocation or from enforcing a demand.
Did you know?Forbear is built from Old English forberan, literally “to bear up, endure, or hold off,” and its history is about controlled force—not magic, but the kind of self-mastery ancient cultures often treated like a spell.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bher-
“to carry, bear, or bring”
Old English
OE
forberan
“to endure, support, or refrain from”
Middle English
ME
forberen
“to abstain from, spare, or tolerate”
14th Century
English
forberen
“to hold back from action or speech”
Modern English
English
forbear
“to refrain from doing something, especially with patience or restraint”