Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

1

carry

play
verb car·ry \ˈka-rē, ˈker-ē\

Definition of carry

carried

;

carrying
  1. transitive verb

  2. 1 :  to move while supporting :  transport her legs refused to carry her further — Ellen Glasgow

  3. 2 :  to convey by direct communication carry tales about a friend

  4. 3 chiefly dialectal :  conduct, escort

  5. 4 :  to influence by mental or emotional appeal :  sway She intended the play to carry audiences toward a sense of peace and understanding.

  6. 5 :  to get possession or control of :  capture carried off the prize

  7. 6 :  to transfer from one place (such as a column) to another carry a number in adding

  8. 7 :  to contain and direct the course of The drain carries sewage. Cables carry electricity to homes.

  9. 8a :  to wear or have on one's person Police officers carry guns.b :  to bear upon or within one is carrying an unborn childc :  to harbor (a pathogen) within the body carry a virusd :  to possess a specified gene; specifically :  to possess one copy of a specified recessive gene and be capable of transmitting it to offspring parents carrying genes for cystic fibrosis

  10. 9a :  to have or bear especially as a mark, attribute, or property carry a scarb :  imply, involve The crime carried a heavy penalty.

  11. 10 :  to hold or comport (oneself, one's person, etc.) in a specified manner always carries herself with dignity and grace

  12. 11 :  to sustain the weight or burden of Pillars carry an arch. is carrying a full course load

  13. 12 :  to bear as a crop

  14. 13 :  to sing with reasonable correctness of pitch carry a tune

  15. 14a :  to keep in stock for sale The store carries a good selection of wines.b :  to provide sustenance for land carrying 10 head of cattlec :  to have or maintain on a list or record carry a person on a payroll carried six guards on the team

  16. 15 :  to be chiefly or solely responsible for the success, effectiveness, or continuation of a player capable of carrying a team Her performance carried the play.

  17. 16 :  to prolong or maintain in space, time, or degree carry a principle too far carry the wall above the eaves carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning

  18. 17a :  to gain victory for; especially :  to secure the adoption or passage of The bill was carried in the Senate by a vote of 75–25.b :  to win a majority or plurality of votes in (something, such as a legislative body or a state) The bill carried the Senate by a vote of 75–25.

  19. 18 :  to present for public use or consumption Newspapers carry weather reports. Channel nine will carry the game.

  20. 19a :  to bear the charges of holding or having (stocks, merchandise, etc.) from one time to anotherb :  to keep on one's books as a debtor A merchant carries a customer.

  21. 20 :  to hold to and follow after The dog could not carry the scent.

  22. 21 :  to hoist and maintain (a sail) in use

  23. 22 :  to pass over (something, such as a hazard) at a single stroke in golf carry a bunker

  24. 23 :  to propel and control (a puck or ball) along a playing surface

  25. intransitive verb

  26. 1 :  to act as a bearer

  27. 2a :  to reach or penetrate to a distance Voices carry well. Fly balls don't carry well in cold air.b :  to convey itself to a reader or audience

  28. 3 :  to undergo or admit of carriage in a specified way a load that carries easily

  29. 4 of a hunting dog :  to keep and follow the scent

  30. 5 :  to win adoption The motion carried by a vote of 71–25.

carry a torch

or

carry the torch

  1. 1 :  crusade

  2. 2 :  to be in love especially without reciprocation :  cherish a longing or devotion still carrying a torch for a former lover

carry the ball

  1. :  to perform or assume the chief role :  bear the major portion of work or responsibility No one else is available to make the arrangements, so it's up to you to carry the ball.

carry the day

  1. :  win, prevail Truth and justice will carry the day.

See carry defined for English-language learners

See carry defined for kids

Explore M-W

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066
alt-59760690a61d7
Trending: Trump Tweets, We Define: 'Beleaguered'
image386126722
Words That Come From the Dinner Table
alt-596f95fe451e7
'Drought' & 'Drouth' Take Us Back In Time

Examples of carry in a Sentence

  1. I'll carry your luggage to your room.

  2. He was carrying his baby daughter in his arms.

  3. For two months, I carried the book around with me everywhere I went.

  4. The waitress carried away our empty dinner plates.

  5. The wind carried the smoke away from the campsite.

  6. These planes can carry up to 300 passengers.

  7. a ship carrying thousands of gallons of oil

  8. Oil is carried to the factory through these pipes.

  9. We installed gutters that will carry water away from the house.

  10. blood vessels that carry blood to the heart

Recent Examples of carry from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'carry'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of carry

Middle English carien, from Anglo-French carier to transport, from carre vehicle, from Latin carrus — more at car

carry Synonyms

Synonyms
bear, cart, convey, ferry, haul, lug, pack, tote, transport
Antonyms
exclude, leave (out), miss out [British], omit
Related Words
deliver, hand over, transfer; forward, send, ship, transmit; bring, fetch, take; move, remove, shift
Near Antonyms
ban, bar, debar, preclude, prevent, prohibit; deny, refuse, reject; eliminate, except, rule out; lose, mislay, misplace
2

carry

noun car·ry

Definition of carry

plural

carries

  1. 1 :  carrying power; especially :  the range of a gun or projectile or of a struck or thrown ball

  2. 2a :  portageb :  the act or method of carrying fireman's carryc :  the act of rushing with the ball in football averaged four yards per carry

  3. 3 :  the position assumed by a color-bearer with the flag or guidon held in position for marching

  4. 4 :  a quantity that is transferred in addition from one number place to the adjacent one of higher place value

See carry defined for English-language learners

Examples of carry in a Sentence

  1. He averaged four yards per carry this season.

Recent Examples of carry from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'carry'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of carry

1858

CARRY Defined for English Language Learners

carry

play
verb

Definition of carry for English Language Learners

  • : to move (something) while holding and supporting it

  • : to contain and direct the flow of (water, electricity, etc.)

  • : to have (something) with you or on your body

carry

noun

Definition of carry for English Language Learners

  • American football : the act of running with the ball

CARRY Defined for Kids

carry

play
verb car·ry \ˈker-ē\

Definition of carry for Students

carried

;

carrying

  1. 1 :  to take or transfer from one place to another Can you carry a package? You might need to carry a number in addition.

  2. 2 :  to contain and direct the course of The pipe is carrying water to the sea.

  3. 3 :  to wear or have on or within the body carry money She is carrying an unborn child.

  4. 4 :  to have as an element, quality, or part Does the camera carry a guarantee?

  5. 5 :  to have for sale The market carries fresh fish.

  6. 6 :  to go over or travel a distance His voice carried across the river.

  7. 7 :  1support 1, bear The building has pillars that carry an arch.

  8. 8 :  1win 3 He will carry the election.

  9. 9 :  to hold or bear the body or some part of it Carry your head high.

  10. 10 :  to sing in correct pitch Can you carry a tune?

  11. 11 :  to present to the public The story was carried on the evening news. The paper carries weather reports.

carry away

  1. :  to cause strong feeling in The music carried her away.

carry on

  1. 1 :  to behave in an improper or excited manner Ramona cried and carried on so … that they sent her home. — Barbara Robinson, Best Christmas Pageant

  2. 2 :  manage 1 They carry on a business.

  3. 3 :  to continue in spite of difficulties The scientists carried on even without their equipment.

carry out

  1. :  to put into action or effect

Medical Dictionary

carry

play
transitive verb car·ry \ˈkar-ē\

Medical Definition of carry

carried

;

carrying

  1. 1:  to harbor (a pathogen) within the body many are unaware they carry the virus and could be infecting others—Donald MacGillis

  2. 2:  to possess a specified gene women who carry genes that increase the risk of breast cancer—Liz Szabo; specifically :  to possess one copy of a specified recessive gene and be capable of transmitting it to offspring screening tests to see whether parents carry genes for cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs disease or other defects—Lisa Greene

Learn More about carry

  1. See words that rhyme with carry Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for carry Spanish Central: Translation of carry Nglish: Translation of carry for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of carry for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up carry? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

haphazard

play

marked by lack of plan or order

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. beleaguer 'Being subjected to constant or repeated trouble or harassment'

  2. scaramouch A new White House communications director

  3. non sequitur “It does not follow”

  4. admiral's mast A massive search ends with an 'admiral's mast'.

  5. calumny 'An untrue statement that is made to damage someone's reputation'

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

carry

Test Your Vocabulary

The Emoji Quiz

  • emoji-the-quiz
  • What phase of the moon is this: 🌖 ?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Dictionary Devil

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-596f95fe451e7
'Drought' & 'Drouth' Take Us Back In Time

A variant spelling with a long history

alt-59721dd897313
The 'Best' Way to Sign Off On An E-mail

Give them your best

image386126722
Words and Phrases That Come from the Dinner Table

Fill your plate with these surprising food words

ghost-being-disinvited-from-party
'Disinvite' or 'Uninvite'?

A disinvited guest is an uninvited problem

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

payday
How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

emoji-the-quiz
The Emoji Quiz

Think you’re an emoji 👓 expert? Let’s see 🤔

Take the quiz
image941935269
A Game of Thrones Word Quiz

In the Game of Thrones quiz, you learn some new vocabulary. (It’s quite safe, really. You will not die.)

Take the quiz
Spell It
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Take the quiz
Dictionary Devil
Dictionary Devil

The dictionary has been scrambled—can you put it back together?

Play the game
Examples: carry in a Sentence