(intr) to continue or persevere
we must carry on in spite of our difficulties
(tr) to manage or conduct
to carry on a business
informal to have an affair
informal (intr) to cause a fuss or commotion
Maintain, conduct, as in The villagers carried on a thriving trade , or They carried on a torrid love affair . [c. 1600]
Continue or progress, persevere, as in I'm sure you can carry on without me . [Mid-1600s]
Behave in an excited, improper, or silly manner, as in They laughed and sang and carried on rather noisily . [Early 1800s]
Flirt, engage in an illicit love affair, as in She accused her friend of carrying on with her husband . [Early 1900s]
First recorded in 1950–55; adj., noun use of verb phrase carry on
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Two years earlier, the FAA had begun to require that all carry-on luggage be X-rayed for weapons and passengers be scanned by a metal detector.
From Slate • Jul. 7, 2026
Soccer fans visiting a very large gas station for the first time… carry-on BBQ sandwiches & beaver nuggets?
From Salon • Jun. 28, 2026
"I'm the biggest carry-on ever," added Baker, who later added the key wicket of Daryl Mitchell.
From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026
According to Borenstein, Talankin arrived at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York “to fly home to Europe” and had the Oscar in tow as a carry-on.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
I take several long steps toward her, dragging the carry-on behind me.
From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi
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.
