carry
verb (used with object)
to take or support from one place to another; convey; transport.
carry
1 American
[kar-ee]
/ ˈkær i /
verb (used with object)
-
carries,
present (3rd person singular)
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carried,
past participle, past
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carrying
present participle
-
to take or support from one place to another; convey; transport.
He carried her for a mile in his arms. This elevator cannot carry more than ten people.
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to wear, hold, or have around one.
He carries his knife in his pocket. He carries a cane.
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to contain or be capable of containing; hold.
The suitcase will carry enough clothes for a week.
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to serve as an agency or medium for the transmission of.
The wind carried the sound. He carried the message to me.
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to be the means of conveying or transporting (something or someone).
The wind carried the balloon out of sight.
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to be pregnant with.
His wife is carrying twins.
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to put ahead to a subsequent time, page, etc., or to a higher authority; continue or transfer.
to carry a case to a higher court; to carry a footnote to a new page.
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to bear the weight, burden, etc., of; sustain.
These piers once carried an arch.
- Synonyms:
- support
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to take (a leading or guiding part), as in singing; bear or sustain (a part or melody).
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to hold (the body, head, etc.) in a certain manner.
She carries her head high.
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to behave or comport (oneself ).
She carries herself with decorum.
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to take the initiative in (a contest).
The Giants carried the game to the Browns.
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to secure the adoption of (a motion or bill).
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to get a plurality or majority of electoral votes in (a district).
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to extend or continue in a given direction or to a certain point.
to carry the war into enemy territory.
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to bring, impart, hear, transmit, or communicate news, a message, etc.
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to lead or influence by emotional or intellectual appeal.
The actor carried his audience with him.
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to bear the major burden of (a group, performance, etc.) by superior talent, determination, etc..
The star carried the whole play.
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to serve as a conduit for.
This pipe carries water to the house.
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to have as an attribute, property, consequence, etc.; presume or entail.
Violation carries a penalty of five years in prison.
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to support or give validity to (a related claim, argument, etc.).
One decision carries another.
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Commerce.
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to keep on hand or in stock.
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to keep on the account books.
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to bear as a crop.
This land will not carry corn.
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to sustain or support.
Our grain supply will carry the cattle through the winter. This money will carry us for about a week.
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to be enrolled for or to undertake as an amount of work.
New students are advised not to carry more than 16 credits.
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Golf. to advance beyond or go by (an object or expanse) with one stroke.
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Ice Hockey. to cause (a puck) to move forward along the ice and in one's control by a series of light, short taps with the stick.
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Hunting. to retain and pursue (a scent).
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(in addition) to transfer (a number) from one denomination to the succeeding one.
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to have as a maximum working pressure.
This boiler carries 190 pounds per square inch.
verb (used without object)
-
carries,
present (3rd person singular)
-
carried,
past participle, past
-
carrying
present participle
-
to act as a bearer or conductor.
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to have or exert propelling force.
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to be transmitted, propelled, or sustained.
My voice carries farther than his.
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(of a horse) to bear the head in a particular manner while in action.
The horse carries well.
noun
-
carries
plural
-
range, as of a gun.
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Golf. the distance a stroked ball travels.
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land that separates navigable waters and over which a canoe or boat must be carried; portage.
-
a carrying.
verb phrase
-
carry forward
-
to make progress with.
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Bookkeeping. to transfer (an amount) to the next page, column, or book.
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Accounting. to apply (an unused credit or operating loss) to the net income of a succeeding period in order to reduce the tax for that period.
-
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carry out
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to put into operation; execute.
He doesn't have the funds to carry out his design.
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to effect or accomplish; complete.
They carried out their plan without incident.
-
-
carry off
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to win (a prize, honor, etc.).
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to cause the death of.
The Black Plague in the Middle Ages carried off more than one-fourth of the population of Europe.
-
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carry away
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to influence greatly or unreasonably, especially emotionally; excite; transport.
The spectators were carried away by the appeal to their patriotism.
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Nautical. (of the wind or sea) to dislodge or send overboard.
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Nautical. (of a vessel) to lose (an object or objects) through breakage.
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Nautical. (of a rope or chain) to break under strain.
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carry through
-
to accomplish; complete.
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to support or help through a difficult situation.
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to continue or be prevalent in; persist.
a theme that carried through all his writing.
-
-
carry back to apply (an unused credit or operating loss) to the net income of a prior period in order to reduce the tax for that period.
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carry on
-
to manage; conduct.
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to continue without stopping.
Rescue operations were carried on in spite of the storm.
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to continue to live, work, etc., despite a setback or tragedy; persevere.
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Informal. to behave in an agitated, foolish, or indiscreet manner.
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to misbehave or be disruptive; act up.
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Nautical. to proceed under excessive sail for the weather conditions.
-
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carry over
-
to hold until a later time; postpone.
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to be left; remain.
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Bookkeeping. to transfer (an amount) to the next page, column, or book.
-
Accounting. to apply (an unused credit or operating loss) to the net income of a succeeding period in order to reduce the tax for that period.
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to extend from one activity or time to another.
He does not carry over his business ethics into his personal relationships.
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idioms
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carry a tune, to sing a melody accurately or on key.
-
carry the can. can.
-
carry too far, to exceed the limits of; go to excess with.
She is carrying her crusading too far.
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carry the day, to win the contest or be triumphant; prevail. The Republicans carried the day.
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carry it off, to succeed in an action, endeavor, or scheme.
-
carry all before one, to be highly successful.
In his academic and social life he carried all before him.
carry
British
/ ˈkærɪ /
verb
-
(also intr) to take or bear (something) from one place to another
to carry a baby in one's arms
-
to transfer for consideration; take
he carried his complaints to her superior
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to have on one's person
he always carries a watch
-
(also intr) to be transmitted or serve as a medium for transmitting
sound carries best over water
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to contain or be capable of containing
the jug carries water
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to bear or be able to bear the weight, pressure, or responsibility of
her efforts carry the whole production
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to have as an attribute or result
this crime carries a heavy penalty
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to bring or communicate
to carry news
-
(also intr) to be pregnant with (young)
she is carrying her third child
-
to bear (the head, body, etc) in a specified manner
she carried her head high
-
to conduct or bear (oneself) in a specified manner
she carried herself well in a difficult situation
-
to continue or extend
the war was carried into enemy territory
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to cause to move or go
desire for riches carried him to the city
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to influence, esp by emotional appeal
his words carried the crowd
-
to secure the passage of (a bill, motion, etc)
-
to win (an election)
-
to obtain victory for (a candidate or measure) in an election
-
to win a plurality or majority of votes in (a district, legislative body, etc)
the candidate carried 40 states
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to capture
our troops carried the town
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(of communications media) to include as the content
this newspaper carries no book reviews
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Also (esp US): carry over. accounting to transfer (an item) to another account, esp to transfer to the following year's account instead of writing off against profit and loss
to carry a loss
-
maths to transfer (a number) from one column of figures to the next, as from units to tens in multiplication and addition
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(of a shop, trader, etc) to keep in stock
to carry confectionery
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to support (a musical part or melody) against the other parts
-
to sustain (livestock)
this land will carry twelve ewes to the acre
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to maintain (livestock) in good health but without increasing their weight or obtaining any products from them
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(intr) (of a ball, projectile, etc) to travel through the air or reach a specified point
his first drive carried to the green
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sport golf (of a ball) to travel beyond
the drive carried the trees
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(intr) (of a gun) to have a range as specified
this rifle carries for 1200 yards
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to retain contact with and pursue (a line of scent)
-
(intr) (of ground) to be in such a condition that scent lies well upon it
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ice hockey to move (the puck) forwards, keeping it against the blade of the stick
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informal to imbibe (alcoholic drink) without showing ill effects
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slang (intr) to have drugs on one's person
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to win unanimous support or approval for oneself
-
to be able to sing in tune
-
informal to take the responsibility for some misdemeanour, etc (on behalf of)
-
to win a contest or competition; succeed
noun
-
the act of carrying
-
a portion of land over which a boat must be portaged
-
the range of a firearm or its projectile
-
the distance travelled by a ball, etc, esp (in golf) the distance from where the ball is struck to where it first touches the ground
carry
More Idioms
Synonym Usage
Carry, convey, transport, transmit imply taking or sending something from one place to another. Carry means to take by means of the hands, a vehicle, etc.: to carry a book; The boat carried a heavy load. Convey means to take by means of a nonhuman carrier: The wheat was conveyed to market by train. However, news, information, etc., can be conveyed by a human carrier: The secretary conveyed the message. Transport means to carry or convey goods, now usually by vehicle or vessel: to transport milk to customers. Transmit implies sending or transferring messages or hereditary tendencies: to transmit a telegram.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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recarryverb (used with object)
-
undercarryverb (used with object)
-
carriableadjective
-
carryableadjective
-
half-carriedadjective
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uncarriedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
carrysimple
-
carriessimple
-
have carriedperfect
-
has carriedperfect
-
am carryingprogressive
-
are carryingprogressive
-
is carryingprogressive
-
have been carryingperfect progressive
-
has been carryingperfect progressive
Past
-
carriedsimple
-
had carriedperfect
-
was carryingprogressive
-
were carryingprogressive
-
had been carryingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of carry
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English carien, from Anglo-French carier, from Late Latin carricāre “to load a wagon,” apparently variant of carrūcāre (unrecorded), derivative of Latin carrūca “traveling carriage,” from Celtic; cf. car 1, charge
Explanation
When you carry something, you hold it and take it somewhere. When you live in a walk-up apartment, you have to carry bags of groceries up several flights of stairs. You carry armfuls of books home from the library, or carry your new puppy when she gets tired on a long walk. You might also carry friends in your car, or carry plenty of cash in your wallet. In any of these cases, you're transporting something. If you're ill and can spread germs to other people, a doctor might say that you carry an infectious disease. The words carry and car share a common Latin root, carrum, "two-wheeled chariot."
Vocabulary lists containing carry
Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 4
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Mother's Day Words: What Mothers Do
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"A Suitcase of Seaweed" and "Immigrants Today"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The new findings add another dimension to this picture by showing that many aquatic and terrestrial animals also carry enzymes capable of breaking down PHAs.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
Karoline Leavitt, the president’s outgoing White House press secretary, said the United States has “more than enough firepower” to carry out any operation the president wishes to order.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
I understand the usual arguments — reducing future RMDs, avoiding higher future tax brackets, and creating tax-free assets for heirs — but I’m not sure they carry much weight in my particular case.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
“It’s not that we won’t do private jobs; we can, but we won’t carry sacks of cement,” said Satish Chandra Mehta, Mehta’s cousin.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
“Well, am I walking? Because I think it’s too far for me to walk to the store in town and carry a big sack of flour back with me.”
From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan
Her breakout success came in 2013, when she published Glennon Doyle’s Carry On, Warrior.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
“Pretend You’re Dead and I Carry You” alchemized those months of research, plus a decade of drafts, residencies at the Headland Center for the Arts and Hedgebrook, as well as notebooks upon notebooks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
Sign up to get an alert every time WSJ’s Carry On columnist Dawn Gilbertson publishes an article.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
One of Sandgate's famous late residents was the actress Hattie Jacques, known for her role in the classic Carry On films.
From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2026
Beside the third question, Ms. Finch wrote: Carry the x.
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
The same mosquito carries the diseases Zika and Chikungunya.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC, is a vast network of ocean currents that carries warm water northward from the tropics.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
This is the second biggest category of retail spending after autos, so it carries a lot of weight.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
Meanwhile, hits on tankers and sites around Novorossiysk have crimped operations at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which carries almost 2% of the world’s oil, and whose shareholders include Chevron and ExxonMobil.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
“That telephone company must still have you on the night shift”—he carries on, saying this phrase like it tastes bad: night shift—“if you managed to take a train in the middle of the day.”
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Instead, the gluon structure connecting those quarks could be central to how baryon number is carried through energetic collisions.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
"Our findings strongly support the idea that baryon number is more favorably carried and transported by gluons, the particles that hold quarks together, when arranged in this special configuration."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
Alois has carried out most official royal duties for the last two decades.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Between March and May 2025, the health board, which covers Bridgend county, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf, carried out 6,140 visits, which dropped to 909 in the same period in 2026.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
I’m outside, too, carried out by the Hecht’s throng, holding wrapped-paper parcels in my arms that I’m vaguely aware I didn’t pay for.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
There could be legal proceedings to decide whether the money goes to any descendants of the Van Assche family, the organization carrying out the work or the workers themselves.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
The results suggest that gluons, the particles that act as the glue holding quarks together, may play a key role in carrying and conserving baryon number.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
Once elevated to his new posts, Salisbury took charge of carrying out the second Trump administration’s agenda for HSI, personally issuing staffing directives, reassignments and promotions, current and former agency officials told ProPublica.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
Other countries are carrying out a slightly different trial in which the captain of the keeper's team must always leave the field.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
He’s carrying Caesar well beyond the land rush camp, zigzagging between tents, wagons, other campfires.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
