Meanings
verbgrin and bear it (third-person singular simple present grins and bears it, present participle grinning and bearing it, simple past grinned and bore it, past participle grinned and borne it)
present singular third person grins and bears it · participle present grinning and bearing it · past grinned and bore it · participle past grinned and borne it
- idiomaticTo endure a difficult or disagreeable situation with good humor.
They made me work the Saturday of our wedding anniversary; what could I say? I just had to grin and bear it.
Synonyms & antonyms
Translations
Danish gøre gode miner til slet spil
- gøre gode miner til slet spilendure a difficult or disagreeable situation
Finnish kestää hymyillen
- kestää hymyillenendure a difficult or disagreeable situation
French prendre son mal en patience, faire bonne mine à mauvais jeu
- prendre son mal en patienceendure a difficult or disagreeable situation
- faire bonne mine à mauvais jeuendure a difficult or disagreeable situation
Hungarian jó képet vág hozzá
- jó képet vág hozzáendure a difficult or disagreeable situation
Italian fare buon viso a cattivo gioco
- fare buon viso a cattivo giocoendure a difficult or disagreeable situation
Polish robić dobrą minę do złej gry, zrobić dobrą minę do złej gry
- robić dobrą minę do złej gryendure a difficult or disagreeable situation
- zrobić dobrą minę do złej gryendure a difficult or disagreeable situation
Romanian face haz de necaz
- face haz de necazendure a difficult or disagreeable situation
Cite this entry
APA
grin and bear it. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grin%20and%20bear%20it
MLA
“grin and bear it.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grin%20and%20bear%20it. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “grin and bear it,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grin%20and%20bear%20it.
Source: grin and bear it on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.