carry

carryverb

To carry is to hold or support something, usually while it moves from one place to another.

1. hold and movehold something or someone and take them from one place to another

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj] verb + object + adverb [V + obj + adv]

   • She carried the baby up the stairs. V + obj + adv
   • Can you carry this bag for me? V + obj
   • He was carrying a box of books. V + obj
   • I'll carry the chairs outside. V + obj + adv

   Collocations

   verb + noun carry a bag, carry a box, carry a baby

   verb + adverb carry something upstairs, carry something inside, carry something away

   Compare bring (carry is about holding something while you move; bring is about moving it toward a place); take; borrow; hold

   For translators (sense 1)

   Meaning across languages Some languages use one verb for carry, bring, take, and wear. In English, carry means holding something and supporting its weight while you move; clothes that you have on are worn, not carried.

2. have with youhave something with you, usually in a pocket or a bag

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj]

   • I never carry much cash. V + obj
   • She carries a small notebook everywhere. V + obj
   • Do you always carry your phone? V + obj

   Collocations

   verb + noun carry cash, carry an umbrella, carry a phone, carry identification

3. move people or thingsmove people or things from one place to another

   The subject is usually a vehicle, a pipe, water, or the wind, not a person.

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj]

   • The bus can carry forty passengers. V + obj
   • Pipes carry water to the houses on the hill. V + obj
   • The wind carried the smoke across the valley. V + obj

   Collocations

   verb + noun carry passengers, carry goods, carry water, carry electricity

4. support weightsupport the weight of something

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj]

   • The bridge isn't strong enough to carry heavy trucks. V + obj
   • Four thick columns carry the whole roof. V + obj

5. diseasehave something in your body, such as a virus, that can be passed to others, sometimes without being sick yourself

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj] medicine

   • The doctor asked whether anyone in the family carried the virus. V + obj
   • Some insects carry diseases from one animal to another. V + obj

6. have as a part or resulthave something as a part, a quality, or a result

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj]

   • The job carries a lot of responsibility. V + obj
   • In this game, a wrong answer carries a penalty of five points. V + obj
   • His opinion carries a lot of weight with the team. V + obj

   Collocations

   verb + noun carry responsibility, carry a risk, carry a penalty, carry weight

7. sellhave goods for sale in a store

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj]

   • Do you carry batteries? V + obj
   • The store carries a wide range of shoes. V + obj

8. of a soundbe heard a long way away

   The subject is a sound or a voice.

   intransitive [I] verb + adverb or preposition [V + adv/prep]

   • Her voice carried to the back of the room. V + adv/prep
   • Sound carries a long way on a quiet night. V + adv/prep

See also carry on (continue doing something); carry out (do a task or a plan)