To press down heavily; to bear down upon with force or weight; to overwhelm or crush.
From 'down' (downward direction) plus 'bear' (to carry or press); a compound verb that emerged in Middle English describing physical and metaphorical weight or pressure.
This verb captures the feeling of being overwhelmed—like when guilt, sadness, or pressure is literally pressing you down! Old English and Germanic languages loved making compound verbs like this, which is why English has so many colorful ways to describe emotional and physical weight.
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