26984 words

carrying

21 definitions • 47 examples
1
present participle of
2
to hold something or someone with your hands, arms, or on your back and transport it, him, or her from one place to another:

Examples:

Would you like me to carry your bag for you?
These books are too heavy for me to carry.
We only had a small suitcase, so we were able to carry it onto the plane.
Robson injured his leg in the second half of the match and had to be carried off.
carry someone/something off Thieves broke the shop window and carried off (= removed) jewellery worth thousands of pounds.
3
to move someone or something from one place to another:

Examples:

carry someone/something away Rubbish left on the beach during the day is carried away (= removed) at night by the tide.
The bus that was involved in the accident was carrying children to school.
The Brooklyn Bridge carries traffic across the East River from Brooklyn to Manhattan.
Police think that the body was carried down the river (= was transported by the flow of the river).
4
to have something with you all the time:

Examples:

carry a memory figurative He will carry the memory of the accident with him (= will remember the accident) for ever.
5
to have something as a part, quality, or result:

Examples:

carry weight I'm afraid my opinion doesn't carry any weight with (= influence) my boss.
Our cars carry a twelve-month guarantee.
His speech carried so much conviction that I had to agree with him.
US The salesclerk said they didn't carry (= have a supply of) sportswear.
6
to take something from one person or thing and give it to another person or thing:

Examples:

7
to support the weight of something without moving or breaking:

Examples:

The weight of the cathedral roof is carried by two rows of pillars.
8
to support, keep in operation, or make a success:

Examples:

We can no longer afford to carry people who don't work as hard as they should.
Luckily they had a very strong actor in the main part and he managed to carry the whole play (= make a success of it through his own performance).
9
to win the support, agreement, or sympathy of a group of people:

Examples:

The bosses' plans to reorganize the company won't succeed unless they can carry the workforce with them.
10
to give approval, especially by voting:

Examples:

The motion/proposal/resolution/bill was carried by 210 votes to 160.
11

Examples:

This morning's newspapers all carry the same story on their front page.
12

Examples:

The sound of the explosion carried for miles.
The ball carried high into the air and landed on the other side of the fence.
13
to develop or continue something:

Examples:

carry something forward We must end here, but we can carry today's discussion forward at our next meeting.
Lenin carried Marx's ideas a stage further by putting them into practice.
If we carry this argument to its logical conclusion, we realize that further investment is not a good idea.
She carries tidiness to extremes/to its limits (= she is too tidy).
He always carries his jokes too far (= he continues making jokes when he should have stopped).
14
to move your body in a particular way:

Examples:

You can tell she's a dancer from the way that she carries herself.
She carries herself with the poise of a model.
She carried herself with grace and dignity.
Helena carried herself with a certain elegance that turned heads when she walked into a room.
You can convey quiet confidence just by carrying yourself in a certain way.
15
to put a number into another column when doing addition
16
in American football, to run across the field towards the goal while holding the ball, gaining an advantage for your team:

Examples:

Every running back wants to carry the ball.
Johnson carried 26 times for 202 yards.
17
in ice hockey and football, to control the puck or ball and move forward toward the goal with it:

Examples:

He carried the puck into the Vancouver zone on the left side.
He burst through, carrying the ball from the halfway line into the Barcelona penalty area.
18
in basketball, to put your hand underneath the ball while dribbling (= moving the ball by repeatedly hitting it against the floor with your hand) or as you start to move, which is against the rules:

Examples:

If you carry the ball, the referee will blow the whistle and you will lose possession.
19
In golf, if you carry a part of the golf course (= playing area) such as a bunker, fairway, etc., you successfully hit the ball over it:

Examples:

The opening tee shots must try to carry the fairway bunkers at 260 yards.
20
In cricket, if a ball carries, it does not hit the ground before being caught:

Examples:

The fielder wasn't sure whether the ball had carried so it was referred to the third umpire.
21
to be pregnant with a child:

Examples:

It was quite a shock to learn that she was carrying twins.
I was enormous when I was carrying Josh.

Navigation