Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

carry-on

American  
[kar-ee-on, -awn] / ˈkær iˌɒn, -ˌɔn /

adjective

  1. of a size and shape suitable for being carried onto and stowed in the passenger compartment of an airplane.

    carry-on luggage.

noun

  1. a piece of carry-on luggage.

carry on British  

verb

  1. (intr) to continue or persevere

    we must carry on in spite of our difficulties

  2. (tr) to manage or conduct

    to carry on a business

  3. informal to have an affair

  4. informal (intr) to cause a fuss or commotion

"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

noun

  1. informal a fuss or commotion

"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

adjective

  1. (of luggage) to be taken inside an aircraft by hand personally by a passenger

"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
carry on Idioms  

  1. Maintain, conduct, as in The villagers carried on a thriving trade , or They carried on a torrid love affair . [c. 1600]

  2. Continue or progress, persevere, as in I'm sure you can carry on without me . [Mid-1600s]

  3. Behave in an excited, improper, or silly manner, as in They laughed and sang and carried on rather noisily . [Early 1800s]

  4. Flirt, engage in an illicit love affair, as in She accused her friend of carrying on with her husband . [Early 1900s]

Etymology

Origin of carry-on

First recorded in 1950–55; adj., noun use of verb phrase carry on

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.

As he hauled his carry-on to his gate, Scott, then 79, found he had to take several breaks.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

The only way I got to a wedding in Istanbul was by sitting precariously on top of my carry-on bag, the most uncomfortable 10 hours of my life.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2026

While budget airlines say they offer low carry-on prices, Which? found in the vast majority of cases they weren't available.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

In May, Southwest started charging for checked luggage and experienced a surge in the volume of carry-on bags.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

I was trying to talk to Link, but 1 couldn’t because I was getting bannered so hard, and I kept blinking and trying to walk forward with my carry-on.

From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson

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.