Baring vs. Bearing – What’s the Gist?
These two English homophones sound alike but have different meanings and spellings. It is difficult to know which word is the correct word.
- Baring is the progressive verb form of bare.
- Bearing is a noun and a verb.
Confusing the spelling of these two words would cause some embarrassment since they are not interchangeable.
How to Use Baring in a Sentence
Baring definition: The word baring \ber ing\, as mentioned earlier, is the progressive form of the verb bare. Let’s start with the definition of the word bare itself.
Bare, as a transitive verb, means to make or lay something bare; or, in other words, to uncover something.
For example:
- He bared his soul to his friend. (Past Tense Verb)
- She was baring her soul to her friend. (Past Tense Progressive Verb)
In this verb construction, the word bare suggests being exposed.
How to Use Bearing in a Sentence
Bearing definition: Bearing \ber ing\ can be a noun or a verb.
As a noun, bearing means the comportment of oneself; a point of support; a determination of position; or a relational connection, the part of a machine that bears friction.
For example:
- His regel bearing revealed his good breeding and stellar education. (Noun)
- After roaming around the winding roads of the subdivision, the Uber driver lost his sense of bearing. (Noun)
- The parents assuaged the sitter than their decision to come home early had no bearing on her ability to watch the children. (Noun)
- The bearings on your bike are destroyed. (Noun)
As a verb, bearing is the progressive form of the verb to bear, which means to carry, to endure, to have on display, among other meanings.
- He has been bearing quite a lot of pain lately.
- The ship was bearing and American flag.
Since the words baring or bare mean to uncover or expose, you can see how using this word when you mean bear would be embarrassing.
Outside Examples of Baring vs. Bearing
- After the loss, Von Miller went all Hamlet on us, baring his soul in a football soliloquy. –The Denver Post
- Much as they are now, the Quakers in their 18th-century heyday were strict egalitarians and thus rejected the established gestures of deference, such as removing a hat and baring the head as a gesture of greeting. –The Washington Post
- Set during the 1950s, it is told from the perspective of Thomas, a night watchman at a jewel bearing plant near the Turtle Mountain Reservation in North Dakota, and two sisters, Patrice and Vera, who were born on the reservation. –The Orange County Register
- Coffins bearing deceased parishioners no longer leave one at a time in a shiny hearse after a funeral every week or so. –The New York Times
Phrases That Use Baring and Bearing
There are several phrases that use the word baring or bearing, including:
Baring (one’s) teeth: To show hostility or aggression, typically when challenged.
- When he wouldn’t share one of his packages of toilet paper, the other shopper started baring his teeth and shouting words of indignation.
Baring it all: When someone reveals everything either figuratively or literally.
- The friends were baring it all when they went skinny-dipping.
Bearing in mind: To figuratively carry something important to remember in one’s mind.
- Bearing in mind that they had to get up early the next morning, their mother gave them permission to spend the evening with friends.
Bearing a grudge: When someone holds something against someone else for a long period of time.
- When the neighbor walked past without a word and slammed the door shut, the woman cried out, “Are you still bearing a grudge?!”
How to Remember These Words
The confusion between these two words could be because of the base word bear that is found in bearing. Interestingly, bear can be both a verb and a noun. As a verb, it means to carry or support. As a noun, it means a large, hairy mammal.
It may be this noun association that causes people to think the phrases like bear in mind or bearing arms can’t be right. Because who would want a bear in their mind or a bear to carry arms—human ones or otherwise?
Perhaps, that is why the word bare or baring gets substituted instead.
Another way to look at these words is to think about feet. If you recall, baring means to expose or reveal. With that in mind, if you go bare foot in the summer, you remove your shoes and socks to reveal your naked feet. Bare feet. But you wouldn’t want to go bear feet. That might look pretty ugly.
For example:
- The bear’s feet were wet from the river.
- The man walked by the river in his bare feet.
Article Summary
Is baring or bearing correct? Another way to keep this straight is to ask yourself what part of speech you want. The word baring is a progressive verb form. If you are looking for action, choose baring. If you need a noun, pick the word bearing.
- Baring is a verb.
- Bearing is noun.