Dictionary.com
definitions
  • synonyms

bring

[bring]
See more synonyms for bring on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object), brought, bring·ing.
  1. to carry, convey, conduct, or cause (someone or something) to come with, to, or toward the speaker: Bring the suitcase to my house. He brought his brother to my office.
  2. to cause to come to or toward oneself; attract: Her scream brought the police. He brought honor to his family by his heroism.
  3. to cause to occur or exist: The medication brought instant relief.
  4. to cause to come into a particular position, state, or effect: to bring the car to a stop.
  5. to cause to appear or occur in the mind; evoke or recall: The letter brought her memories of youth.
  6. to persuade, convince, compel, or induce: She couldn't bring herself to sell the painting.
  7. to sell for; fetch: These lamps will bring a good price.
  8. Law. to commence: to bring an action for damages.
Show More
Verb Phrases
  1. bring about, to accomplish; cause: Land reform brought about a great change in the lives of the common people.
  2. bring around/round,
    1. to convince of a belief or opinion; persuade: I think we can bring him around to agreeing with the plan.
    2. to restore to consciousness, as after a faint.
    3. to bring as a visitor: They brought around a new employee this morning.
  3. bring down,
    1. to injure, capture, or kill: He brought down several ducks on his last hunting trip.
    2. to lessen; reduce: I won't buy that lamp unless they bring down the price.
    3. Slang.to cause to be in low spirits; depress: The bad news brought him down.
  4. bring forth,
    1. to give birth to; deliver; bear: to bring forth a son.
    2. to give rise to; introduce: to bring forth a proposal for reducing costs.
  5. bring forward,
    1. to bring to view; show.
    2. to present for consideration; adduce: to bring forward an opinion.
  6. bring in,
    1. to yield, as profits or income: My part-time job doesn't bring in much, but I enjoy it.
    2. to present officially; submit: The jury brought in its verdict.
    3. to cause to operate or yield: They brought in a gusher on his property.
    4. to present for consideration, approval, etc.; introduce: She brought in six new members last month.
  7. bring off, to accomplish, carry out, or achieve (something): He brought off his speech with ease.
  8. bring on,
    1. to cause to happen or exist; bring about: This incident will surely bring on a crisis.
    2. to introduce; cause to appear: Bring on the clowns.
  9. bring out,
    1. to expose; reveal.
    2. to make noticeable or conspicuous in a contrast.
    3. to publish, as a book or play.
    4. to introduce officially into society: to bring out a debutante.
  10. bring to,
    1. to bring back to consciousness; revive.
    2. Nautical.to head (a vessel) close to or into the wind so as to halt.
  11. bring up,
    1. to care for during childhood; rear.
    2. to introduce or mention for attention, discussion, action, or consideration.
    3. to vomit.
    4. to stop or cause to stop quickly: to bring up a car at the curb.
    5. Nautical.(of a vessel) to cause to halt, as by lowering an anchor or running aground; fetch up.
Show More

Origin of bring

before 950; Middle English bringen, Old English bringan; cognate with Dutch brengen, German bringen, Gothic briggan
Related formsbring·er, nounout·bring, verb (used with object), out·brought, out·bring·ing.
Can be confusedbring fetch1 take (see synonym study at the current entry)

Synonyms

See more synonyms for bring on Thesaurus.com
1. transport; lead, guide.

Synonym study

1. Bring, fetch, take imply conveying or conducting in relation to the place where the speaker is. To bring is simply to convey or conduct: Bring it to me. I'm permitted to bring my dog here with me. It is the opposite of take, which means to convey or conduct away from the place where the speaker is: Bring it back here. Take it back there. Fetch means to go, get, and bring back: Fetch me that bottle.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for bring

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • He never could find out what was "going on" to bring so many folks into town.

    The Spenders

    Harry Leon Wilson

  • Very well; bring me what you have at that hour, and we'll strike a trade.

    Brave and Bold

    Horatio Alger

  • He should bring an almanac with him to know when the days go by.

    Malbone

    Thomas Wentworth Higginson

  • He wished to bring his whole heart back to her—or at least wished that he wished it.

    Malbone

    Thomas Wentworth Higginson

  • In all these ways, I will bring the values of our history to the care of our times.

British Dictionary definitions for bring

bring

verb brings, bringing or brought (tr)
  1. to carry, convey, or take (something or someone) to a designated place or personbring that book to me; will you bring Jessica to Tom's party?
  2. to cause to happen or occur to (oneself or another)to bring disrespect on oneself
  3. to cause to happen as a consequenceresponsibility brings maturity
  4. to cause to come to mindit brought back memories
  5. to cause to be in a certain state, position, etcthe punch brought him to his knees
  6. to force, persuade, or make (oneself)I couldn't bring myself to do it
  7. to sell for; fetchthe painting brought 20 pounds
  8. law
    1. to institute (proceedings, charges, etc)
    2. to put (evidence, etc) before a tribunal
  9. bring forth to give birth to
  10. bring home to
    1. to convince ofhis account brought home to us the gravity of the situation
    2. to place the blame on
  11. bring to bear See bear 1 (def. 17)
Show More
See also bring about, bring down, bring forward, bring in, bring off, bring on, bring out, bring over, bring round, bring to, bring up
Derived Formsbringer, noun

Word Origin

Old English bringan; related to Gothic briggan, Old High German bringan
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for bring

v.

Old English bringan "to bring, bring forth, produce, present, offer" (past tense brohte, past participle broht), from Proto-Germanic *brenganan (cf. Old Frisian brenga, Middle Dutch brenghen, Old High German bringan, Gothic briggan); no exact cognates outside Germanic, but it appears to be from PIE root *bhrengk-, compound based on root *bher- (1) "to carry" (cf. Latin ferre; see infer).

The tendency to conjugate this as a strong verb on the model of sing, drink, etc., is ancient: Old English also had a rare strong past participle form, brungen, corresponding to modern colloquial brung. To bring down the house figuratively (1754) is to elicit applause so thunderous it collapses the roof.

Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper