Bear hard, heavily, severely, etc. on somebody Definition 1 of 3Pro Tip 1/3Metaphorical Weight The phrase suggests that stress or pressure feels as heavy as a physical burden. The responsibilities of leadership bear heavily on her shoulders. Pro Tip 2/3Emotional Effect Can imply that challenges or demands cause emotional strain or stress. The recent layoffs bore down hard on the employees’ morale. Pro Tip 3/3Pressure Source Identify what's causing pressure to understand the sentence better. Her student loans bear heavily on her monthly budget.