1 (come closer) to bear down on sth/sb echarse encima a algo/algn
/as soon as he saw me he bore down on me/ and demanded to speak to me
the ferry was bearing down on us el ferry se nos echaba encima
the lorry was bearing down on us the Yugoslav army is bearing down on the cities of Dubrovnik and Vukovar the ferry bore down on us, alarmingly close Hurricane Lili is bearing down on the coast of North Carolina
2 (press down) presionar the grey clouds bore down with the weight of cold metal when the realities of the world bear down, there's always the escape fiction offers
you have to bear down hard on the screw hay que apretar fuerte el tornillo
pressures are bearing down on the prime minister the roof support had collapsed and all the weight was bearing down on the walls
3 (push) (in childbirth) empujar she knew the baby would be born soon and started bearing down
