carry
verb (used with object)
to take or support from one place to another; convey; transport.
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carry
1 American
[kar-ee]
/ ˈkær i /
verb (used with object)
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carries,
present (3rd person singular)
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carried,
past participle, past
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carrying
present participle
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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)
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carries,
present (3rd person singular)
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carried,
past participle, past
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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
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carries
plural
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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.
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a carrying.
verb phrase
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carry forward
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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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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.
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carry the can. can.
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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.
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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
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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
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(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
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(also intr) to be pregnant with (young)
she is carrying her third child
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to bear (the head, body, etc) in a specified manner
she carried her head high
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to conduct or bear (oneself) in a specified manner
she carried herself well in a difficult situation
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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
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to secure the passage of (a bill, motion, etc)
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to win (an election)
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to obtain victory for (a candidate or measure) in an election
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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
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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
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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)
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(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
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to be able to sing in tune
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informal to take the responsibility for some misdemeanour, etc (on behalf of)
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to win a contest or competition; succeed
noun
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the act of carrying
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a portion of land over which a boat must be portaged
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the range of a firearm or its projectile
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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)
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undercarryverb (used with object)
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carriableadjective
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carryableadjective
-
half-carriedadjective
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uncarriedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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carrysimple
-
carriessimple
-
have carriedperfect
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has carriedperfect
-
am carryingprogressive
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are carryingprogressive
-
is carryingprogressive
-
have been carryingperfect progressive
-
has been carryingperfect progressive
Past
-
carriedsimple
-
had carriedperfect
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was carryingprogressive
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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 particles rely on ions of ytterbium and erbium, which belong to the lanthanide family of chemical elements, to carry out the upconversion process.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
In stark contrast, since their introduction from North America in the 19th Century, greys have thrived at the expense of their distant cousins, which compete for habitats and carry lethal viruses.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
Many stores carry iterations of the same styles, and in the wake of fast fashion, buying vintage clothing is the easiest way to be sure that what you’re wearing is different.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
That suggests a small number of termites can retain enough bistrifluron to help carry an effective dose deeper into a group.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
James wanted to carry the basket for me, but fearing Ba might see him, I told him I could manage.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
He wrote “We’ll fix this. Carry on, Patriots.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
According to Rolling Stone magazine the director, Adams, who grew up in Porthcawl, pitched the idea to Tarantino, external after they worked together on Adams' previous film Only What We Carry.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 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
She says, “UPS! Right out front! Go, Mason! Carry it in!”
From "The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle" by Leslie Connor
The second-year running back had just 12 carries for 43 yards and one touchdown while also losing a fumble against the Cardinals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
It has been reported that the hacks occurred in May during a test conducted by an independent company that carries out cyber-security evaluations.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
LRO carries several instruments that can reveal changes not visible in camera images alone.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
Sometimes the ghostwriting is too obvious, as when a piece carries the byline of a sympathetic plaintiff in a public-interest lawsuit but is written in the bloodless style of an appellate brief.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
“Good!” said the Professor, “both good. But neither must go alone. There must be force to overcome force if need be; the Slovak is strong and rough, and he carries rude arms.”
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
In addition to highlighting the growing diversification of China’s launch industry, some of the missions carried notable payloads.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 20, 2026
If a patient has an antibody against an antigen carried by nearly everyone else, locating compatible donor blood can require specialized laboratories, rare donor registries and sometimes international cooperation.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
"I dyed my hair and skin and reduced my clothing to tatters. I carried my stuff in sacks."
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Pilots could vent buoyant gas, release water carried for ballast or adjust the angle of elevators on the tail, which operated like those on an airplane.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Without a word, Maryke and I turned and carried our load back to the Lagerstrasse.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Days before the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art officially opens, protesters from the Fair Games Coalition — wearing Jedi robes and Jar Jar Binks masks and carrying lightsabers — rallied together outside the new museum.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
A spokesperson for Colmore and Southside Business Improvement Districts said wardens had, on occasion, witnessed groups of riders while carrying out patrols and had shared information with relevant agencies where appropriate.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
The first departed Frankfurt on May 3, carrying 61 crew members and only 36 passengers, half its capacity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
"We have taken an important step towards carrying out an exciting experiment on this topic," says the professor of physics: "We want to measure the gravitational interaction of the muon."
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
Rural school was sporadic; household chores—scrubbing shirts, sweeping ashes, carrying wood and water—were endless.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
