transitive verb
1
: to bring (a person) to maturity through nurturing care and education
2
: to cause to stop suddenly
3
b
computers
: to cause (something, such as a file or picture) to appear on a computer screen
… you can make any picture that it displays into wallpaper by right-clicking with the arrow over the art to bring up a box with a «Set as wallpaper» choice.—
Barry Popik
Synonyms
Example Sentences
it takes an immense commitment and a lot of love to bring up a child properly
I hate to bring this up, but we’re running short of money.
Recent Examples on the Web
Among the issues brought up in the suit were claims that the campus did not provide janitorial services, security precautions, or even a school nurse or medical access.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 8 Apr. 2023
Other students in the class said the teacher still brings up the exchange.
—Landon Mion, Fox News, 8 Apr. 2023
The injunction is the latest effort by the federal courts to bring up Arizona prisons to constitutional standards, in a class-action lawsuit now known as Jensen v. Thornell that has dragged on for nearly a decade.
—The Arizona Republic, 7 Apr. 2023
Dawson said Haley and others would bring up the charges at some point, but not at a moment when conservative voters were rallying around the former president.
—Jonathan Weisman, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Apr. 2023
But it wasn’t even brought up at Christmas.
—Jeff Seidel, Detroit Free Press, 3 Apr. 2023
As a political commentator, Shabazz has a history of making inflammatory comments that his political opponents have brought up.
—The Indianapolis Star, 31 Mar. 2023
House Democrats last year also passed an assault weapons ban for the first time in decades, but the measure did not have enough support to be brought up in the Senate.
—Marianna Sotomayor And Liz Goodwin, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Mar. 2023
Approximately 1,752 deaths were related to HBV in 2020 — though the CDC states this is likely an underestimate.5 Getting Tested for HBV Ideally, care providers will bring up HBV screening with patients, but patients should also ask about it, Dr. Hutton encouraged.
—Sarah Sloat, Health, 28 Mar. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘bring up.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of bring up was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near bring up
Cite this Entry
“Bring up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bring%20up. Accessed 13 Apr. 2023.
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11 Apr 2023
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
bring
(brĭng)
tr.v. brought (brôt), bring·ing, brings
1. To carry, convey, lead, or cause to go along to another place: brought enough money with me.
2. To carry as an attribute or contribution: You bring many years of experience to your new post.
3. To lead or force into a specified state, situation, or location: bring the water to a boil; brought the meeting to a close.
4.
a. To persuade; induce: The defendant’s testimony brought others to confess.
b. To get the attention of; attract: Smoke and flames brought the neighbors.
5.
a. To cause to occur as a consequence: Floods brought destruction to the valley.
b. To cause to occur as a concomitant: For many, the fall brings hay fever.
6. To cause to become apparent to the mind; recall: This music brings back memories.
7. To advance or set forth (charges) in a court.
8. To be sold for: a portrait that brought a million dollars.
Phrasal Verbs:
bring about
1. To cause (something) to happen: a speech that brought about a change in public opinion.
2. Nautical To cause (a ship or boat) to head in a different direction.
bring around (or round)
1. To cause to adopt an opinion or take a certain course of action.
2. To cause to recover consciousness.
bring down
1. To cause to fall or collapse: a shot that brought down a bird; a demolition crew that brought down a building.
2. To force to the ground, as by tackling.
3. To cause to lose power or leave office: The scandal brought down the prime minister.
4. To kill.
5. To disappoint or dispirit: The cancellation of the ballgame brought us down.
bring forth
1. To give rise to; produce: plants bringing forth fruit.
2. To give birth to (young).
bring forward
1. To present; produce: bring forward proof.
2. Accounting To carry (a sum) from one page or column to another.
bring in
1. Law To give or submit (a verdict) to a court.
2. To produce, yield, or earn (profits or income).
bring off
To accomplish: bring off a successful advertising campaign.
bring on
To cause to appear: brought on the dessert.
bring out
1.
a. To reveal or expose: brought out the facts.
b. To introduce (a debutante) to society.
2. To produce or publish: bring out a new book.
3. To nurture and develop (a quality, for example) to best advantage: You bring out the best in me.
bring to
1. To cause to recover consciousness.
2. Nautical To cause (a ship) to turn into the wind or come to a stop.
bring up
1. To take care of and educate (a child); rear.
2. To introduce into discussion; mention.
3. To vomit.
4. To cause to come to a sudden stop.
Idioms:
bring down the house
To win overwhelming approval from an audience.
bring home
To make perfectly clear: a lecture that brought home several important points.
bring home the bacon
1. To earn a living, especially for a family.
2. To achieve desired results; have success.
bring to bear
1. To exert; apply: bring pressure to bear on the student’s parents.
2. To put (something) to good use: «All of one’s faculties are brought to bear in an effort to become fully incorporated into the landscape» (Barry Lopez).
bring to light
To reveal or disclose: brought the real facts to light.
bring to (one’s) knees
To reduce to a position of subservience or submission.
bring to terms
To force (another) to agree.
bring up the rear
To be the last in a line or sequence.
bring′er n.
Usage Note: The difference between bring and take is one of perspective. Bring indicates motion toward the place from which the action is regarded—typically toward the speaker—while take indicates motion away from the place from which the action is regarded—typically away from the speaker. Thus from a customer’s perspective, the customer takes checks to the bank and brings home cash, while from the banker’s perspective the customer brings checks to the bank in order to take away cash. When the point of reference is not the place of speaking itself, either verb is possible, but the correct choice still depends on the desired perspective. For example, The labor leaders brought their requests to the mayor’s office suggests a point of view centered around the mayor’s office, while The labor leaders took their requests to the mayor’s office suggests a point of view centered around the labor leaders. Be aware that the choice of bring or take determines the point of view emphasized. For example, a parent sitting at home may say of a child, She always takes a pile of books home with her from school, describing the situation from the child’s viewpoint leaving school. If the viewpoint shifts to the speaker, bring becomes appropriate, as in Look, I see her coming right now, and she’s bringing a whole armful of books!
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
bring up
vb (tr, adverb)
1. to care for and train (a child); rear: we had been brought up to go to church.
2. to raise (a subject) for discussion; mention
3. (Pathology) to vomit (food)
4. (foll by against) to cause (a person) to face or confront
5. (foll by to) to cause (something) to be of a required standard
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
bring up
– raise – educate
1. ‘bring up’
When you bring up children, you look you look after them throughout their childhood, as their parent or guardian.
Tony was brought up in a working-class family.
When my parents died, my grandparents brought me up.
2. ‘raise’
Raise can be used to mean bring up.
Lynne raised three children on her own.
They want to get married and raise a family.
3. ‘educate’
Don’t confuse bring up or raise with educate. When children are educated, they are taught different subjects over a long period, usually at school.
Many more schools are needed to educate the young.
He was educated in an English public school.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Verb | 1. |  bring up — summon into action or bring into existence, often as if by magic; «raise the specter of unemployment»; «he conjured wild birds in the air»; «call down the spirits from the mountain»
call down, conjure, conjure up, invoke, call forth, put forward, arouse, evoke, stir, raise anathemise, anathemize, bedamn, beshrew, damn, imprecate, maledict, curse — wish harm upon; invoke evil upon; «The bad witch cursed the child» bless — give a benediction to; «The dying man blessed his son» create, make — make or cause to be or to become; «make a mess in one’s office»; «create a furor» call forth, evoke, kick up, provoke — evoke or provoke to appear or occur; «Her behavior provoked a quarrel between the couple» |
| 2. | bring up — bring up; «raise a family»; «bring up children»
parent, nurture, rear, raise fledge — feed, care for, and rear young birds for flight cradle — bring up from infancy foster — bring up under fosterage; of children |
|
| 3. | bring up — promote from a lower position or rank; «This player was brought up to the major league»
elevate, kick upstairs, promote, upgrade, advance, raise — give a promotion to or assign to a higher position; «John was kicked upstairs when a replacement was hired»; «Women tend not to advance in the major law firms»; «I got promoted after many years of hard work» |
|
| 4. | bring up — raise from a lower to a higher position; «Raise your hands»; «Lift a load»
lift, raise, elevate, get up get up — cause to rise; «The sergeant got us up at 2 A.M.» jack, jack up — lift with a special device; «jack up the car so you can change the tire» shoulder — lift onto one’s shoulders kick up — cause to rise by kicking; «kick up dust» hoist, wind, lift — raise or haul up with or as if with mechanical help; «hoist the bicycle onto the roof of the car» trice, trice up — raise with a line; «trice a window shade» run up, hoist — raise; «hoist the flags»; «hoist a sail» hoist — move from one place to another by lifting; «They hoisted the patient onto the operating table» move, displace — cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense; «Move those boxes into the corner, please»; «I’m moving my money to another bank»; «The director moved more responsibilities onto his new assistant» pump — raise (gases or fluids) with a pump levitate — cause to rise in the air and float, as if in defiance of gravity; «The magician levitated the woman» underlay — raise or support (the level of printing) by inserting a piece of paper or cardboard under the type; «underlay the plate» skid — elevate onto skids pinnacle — raise on or as if on a pinnacle; «He did not want to be pinnacled» chin, chin up — raise oneself while hanging from one’s hands until one’s chin is level with the support bar leaven, prove, raise — cause to puff up with a leaven; «unleavened bread» heighten — increase the height of; «The athletes kept jumping over the steadily heightened bars» boost, hike, hike up — increase; «The landlord hiked up the rents» gather up, lift up, pick up — take and lift upward erect, rear — cause to rise up |
|
| 5. | bring up — cause to come to a sudden stop; «The noise brought her up in shock»
stop — cause to stop; «stop a car»; «stop the thief» |
|
| 6. | bring up — put forward for consideration or discussion; «raise the question of promotions»; «bring up an unpleasant topic»
raise cite, mention, refer, advert, name, bring up — make reference to; «His name was mentioned in connection with the invention» |
|
| 7. | bring up — make reference to; «His name was mentioned in connection with the invention»
cite, mention, refer, advert, name have in mind, think of, mean — intend to refer to; «I’m thinking of good food when I talk about France»; «Yes, I meant you when I complained about people who gossip!» commend, remember — mention as by way of greeting or to indicate friendship; «Remember me to your wife» speak of the devil — mention someone’s name who just then appears remember — mention favorably, as in prayer; «remember me in your prayers» quote, cite — refer to for illustration or proof; «He said he could quote several instances of this behavior» touch on — refer to or discuss briefly invoke, appeal — cite as an authority; resort to; «He invoked the law that would save him»; «I appealed to the law of 1900»; «She invoked an ancient law» namedrop — refer to people that one assumes one’s interlocutors admire in order to try to impress them bring up, raise — put forward for consideration or discussion; «raise the question of promotions»; «bring up an unpleasant topic» drag up, dredge up — mention something unpleasant from the past; «Drag up old stories» cross-refer — refer from one entry to another, as in catalogues, books, and lists |
|
| 8. | bring up — cause to load (an operating system) and start the initial processes; «boot your computer»
reboot, boot resuscitate, revive — cause to regain consciousness; «The doctors revived the comatose man» |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
bring
verb
1. To cause to come along with oneself:
2. To succeed in causing (a person) to act in a certain way:
3. To be the cause of:
bring about, bring on, cause, effect, effectuate, generate, induce, ingenerate, lead to, make, occasion, result in, secure, set off, stir (up), touch off, trigger.
4. To achieve (a certain price).Also used with in:
phrasal verb
bring about
To be the cause of:
bring, bring on, cause, effect, effectuate, generate, induce, ingenerate, lead to, make, occasion, result in, secure, set off, stir (up), touch off, trigger.
phrasal verb
bring around or round
1. To succeed in causing (a person) to act in a certain way:
2. To cause to come back to life or consciousness:
phrasal verb
bring down
1. To cause to fall, as from a shot or blow:
cut down, down, drop, fell, flatten, floor, ground, knock down, level, prostrate, strike down, throw.
2. To bring about the downfall of:
phrasal verb
bring forth
To give birth to:
Chiefly Regional: birth.
Idiom: be brought abed of.
phrasal verb
bring in
To make as income or profit:
clear, draw, earn, gain, gross, net, pay, produce, realize, repay, return, yield.
phrasal verb
bring off
To bring about and carry to a successful conclusion:
phrasal verb
bring on
To be the cause of:
bring, bring about, cause, effect, effectuate, generate, induce, ingenerate, lead to, make, occasion, result in, secure, set off, stir (up), touch off, trigger.
phrasal verb
bring out
To present for circulation, exhibit, or sale:
phrasal verb
bring up
1. To take care of and educate (a child):
2. To put forward (a topic) for discussion:
3. To call or direct attention to something:
The American Heritage® Roget’s Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يُرَبّييُرَبِّييقدم يُقَدِّمُ مَوْضوعا لِلْبَحْث
vychovatnadhoditpředložit
opdragebringe på bane
kasvattaa
odgojiti
ala uppvekja máls á
育てる
키우다
nadhodiť
ta up
เลี้ยงดู
nuôi dưỡng
w>bring up
vt sep
(to a higher place) → heraufbringen; (to the front) → her-/hinbringen ? rear
(= raise, increase) amount, reserves → erhöhen (→ to auf +acc); level, standards → anheben; to bring somebody up to a certain standard → jdn auf ein gewisses Niveau bringen
(= vomit up) → brechen; (esp baby, patient) → spucken (inf)
(Jur) to bring somebody up (before a judge) → jdn (einem Richter) vorführen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
bring
(briŋ) – past tense, past participle brought (broːt) – verb
1. to make (something or someone) come (to or towards a place). I’ll bring plenty of food with me; Bring him to me!
2. to result in. This medicine will bring you relief.
bring about
to cause. His disregard for danger brought about his death.
bring back
to (cause to) return. She brought back the umbrella she borrowed; Her singing brings back memories of my mother.
bring down
to cause to fall. The storm brought all the trees down.
bring home to
to prove or show (something) clearly to (someone). His illness brought home to her how much she depended on him.
bring off
to achieve (something attempted). They brought off an unexpected victory.
bring round
to bring back from unconsciousness. Fresh air brought him round.
bring up
1. to rear or educate. Her parents brought her up to be polite.
2. to introduce (a matter) for discussion. Bring the matter up at the next meeting.
bring towards the speaker: Mary, bring me some coffee .
take away from the speaker: Take these cups away .
fetch from somewhere else and bring to the speaker: Fetch me my book from the bedroom .
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
bring up
→ يُرَبِّي vychovat opdrage großziehen ανατρέφω criar, sacar adelante kasvattaa élever odgojiti educare 育てる 키우다 opvoeden ta opp wychować criar воспитывать ta up เลี้ยงดู yetiştirmek nuôi dưỡng 培养
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Middle English bring up, dissimilated from Middle English upbringen (“to bring up, raise”). Doublet of upbring.
Verb[edit]
bring up (third-person singular simple present brings up, present participle bringing up, simple past and past participle brought up)
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see bring, up: To bring from a lower to a higher position.
- 1953, United States Supreme Court, John Den ex dem. Archibald Russell v. The Association of the Jersey Company, reprinted in the United States Reports, volume 56, page 426:
- This case was brought up by writ of error from the Circuit Court of the United States for the District of New Jersey.
-
When you’re in the basement, can you bring up the paints?
- 1953, United States Supreme Court, John Den ex dem. Archibald Russell v. The Association of the Jersey Company, reprinted in the United States Reports, volume 56, page 426:
- To mention.
-
Don’t bring up politics if you want to have a quiet conversation with that guy.
-
- To raise or rear (children).
-
1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 6, in The China Governess[1]:
-
‘[…] I remember a lady coming to inspect St. Mary’s Home where I was brought up and seeing us all in our lovely Elizabethan uniforms we were so proud of, and bursting into tears all over us because “it was wicked to dress us like charity children”. […]’.
-
-
She did well enough bringing up two sons and a daughter on her own.
-
- To uncover, to bring from obscurity; to resurface (e.g. a memory)
-
A short Internet search brought up some amazing details of this story.
-
- To turn on power or start, as of a machine.
-
Wait a minute while I bring up my computer.
-
- To vomit.
-
I was very ill today; I kept bringing up everything I ate.
-
- To stop or interrupt a flow or steady motion.
- 1934, Rex Stout, Fer-de-Lance, 1992 Bantam edition, →ISBN, page 91:
- « […] Mr. Wolfe, I beg you—I beg of you—»
- I was sure she was going to cry and I didn’t want her to. But Wolfe brusquely brought her up:
- «That’s all, Miss Barstow. […] «
-
1999, Alice Borchardt, Night of the Wolf[2], Ballantine, →ISBN, page 260:
-
«No,» Maeniel shouted, «No!» trying to distract the man, and lunged toward him. The chain on his ankle brought him up short and he fell on his face.
-
- 1934, Rex Stout, Fer-de-Lance, 1992 Bantam edition, →ISBN, page 91:
- (cricket) To reach a particular score, especially a milestone.
-
Warner smacked a four over midwicket to bring up his century.
-
Synonyms[edit]
- (uncover, resurface): bring back
[edit]
- (raise children): upbringing
- bring up the rear
- bring up to
Translations[edit]
bring from a lower to a higher position
raise or rear children
- Armenian: please add this translation if you can
- Belarusian: выхо́ўваць impf (vyxóŭvacʹ), вы́хаваць pf (výxavacʹ)
- Bulgarian: възпита́вам (bg) impf (vǎzpitávam), възпи́там pf (vǎzpítam)
- Chinese:
- Cantonese: 養／养 (joeng5), 養大／养大 (joeng5 daai6)
- Czech: vychovávat (cs) impf, vychovat pf
- Danish: opdrage (da)
- Dutch: opvoeden (nl)
- Esperanto: kreskigi, eduki (eo)
- Finnish: kasvattaa (fi)
- French: élever (fr)
- Georgian: გაზრდა (gazrda)
- German: erziehen (de), aufziehen (de), großziehen (de), grossziehen (de) (Switzerland and Liechtenstein), aufbringen (de) (obsolete)
- Greek: ανατρέφω (el) (anatréfo), μεγαλώνω (el) (megalóno)
- Ancient: ἀνατρέφω (anatréphō)
- Ido: edukar (io)
- Irish: tóg
- Japanese: 育てる (ja) (そだてる, sodateru)
- Khmer: please add this translation if you can
- Korean: 키우다 (ko) (kiuda)
- Kyrgyz: тарбиялоо (ky) (tarbiyaloo)
- Latvian: audzināt
- Lithuanian: ugdyti
- Macedonian: воспитува impf (vospituva), воспита pf (vospita), одгледува impf (odgleduva), одгледа pf (odgleda)
- Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: oppdra
- Polish: wychowywać (pl) impf, wychować (pl) pf
- Portuguese: criar (pt)
- Quechua: watay
- Russian: воспи́тывать (ru) impf (vospítyvatʹ), воспита́ть (ru) pf (vospitátʹ), расти́ть (ru) impf (rastítʹ), вы́растить (ru) pf (výrastitʹ)
- Scottish Gaelic: tog
- Slovak: vychovávať impf, vychovať pf
- Slovene: vzgajati impf, vzgojiti pf
- Spanish: criar (es)
- Swedish: uppfostra (sv)
- Thai: เลี้ยงดู (th) (líiang-duu), ฟูมฟัก (th) (fuum-fák)
- Ukrainian: вихо́вувати impf (vyxóvuvaty), ви́ховати pf (výxovaty)
- Venetian: norir (vec)
- Vietnamese: nuôi nấng (vi), nuôi (vi)
- Welsh: magu (cy)
Anagrams[edit]
- burping, upbring
|
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: bring up vb (tr, adverb)
WordReference Random House Learner’s Dictionary of American English © 2023 bring /brɪŋ/USA pronunciation
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2023 bring
bring′er, n.
‘bring up‘ also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations): |
|
- воспитывать, растить
she has brought up four children — она вырастила /воспитала/ четырёх детей 
- поднимать (вопрос); выносить или ставить на обсуждение
the matter was brought up in the committee — вопрос был поднят в комитете
- поднимать, увеличивать; доводить до (определённого уровня)
to bring up the score — спорт. увеличивать счет
to bring up to date — осовременивать
his work in maths needs to be brought up to the standard of the others — ему нужно подтянуться по математике
- внезапно и резко остановить
his remark brought me up short — его замечание заставило меня внезапно остановиться
- мор. поставить или стать на якорь
- арестовывать
- обвинять, привлекать к суду
- подать (обед, завтрак)
- вырвать, стошнить
- воен. подтягивать (резервы); подвозить (боеприпасы)
to bring up the rear — замыкать шествие
- ругать
the director brought Jim up for being late — директор отругал Джима за опоздание
- столкнуть с чем-л.
to be brought up against difficulties — столкнуться с трудностями
- учитывать или использовать что-л. против кого-л.
your record may be brought up against you — твоё прошлое может быть использовано против тебя
My aunt brought up four children.
Моя тётка вырастила четверых детей.
I was brought up to respect the law.
Меня воспитывали в уважении к закону.
I hate to bring this up, but we’re running short of money.
Простите, что поднимаю этот вопрос, но у нас кончаются деньги.
The director brought Jim up for being late again.
Директор отругал Джима за очередное опоздание.
Jane can’t come, she’s been bringing up all morning.
Джейн не может прийти, её всё утро тошнило.
People had very set ideas about how to bring up children.
У людей были очень устоявшиеся представления о том, как нужно воспитывать детей.
Your prison record may be brought up against you.
Против тебя может быть использовано то, что ты сидел.
ещё 22 примера свернуть