bring
BRIHNG
Bring (verb) means to carry or take someone or something to a place. Example: “Can you bring your laptop to the meeting?”
verb
1
To carry or take someone or something to a place.
"Can you bring your laptop to the meeting?"
"She brought her sister along to the party."
"Remember to bring an umbrella when you come over tomorrow."
2
To cause a particular result or situation.
"The new policy brought chaos to the office."
"Practice brings improvement over time."
"Warm sunshine always brings people out into the park at weekends."
3
To file or start (a legal case) against someone.
"The company brought a lawsuit against its former partner."
"The tenants decided to bring a case against their landlord over the damp."
"She was advised to bring a claim against the builder for faulty work."
How to use bring
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo carry, take, or cause something — moving an object, person, or result toward a place or situation.
Common mistake
Bring is for movement toward the speaker or a shared location; take is for movement away. "Bring it here" but "take it there."
Easily confused with
Common pairings
bring something to someone
bring about change
bring a lawsuit
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- brings
- Past tense
- brought, broughten, brang, brung, bringed
- Archaic forms
- broughtest, bringest, bringeth
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Can you _____ your laptop to the meeting?
Etymology
From Old English bringan, an ancient Germanic verb that has meant "to carry something to a place" for well over a thousand years.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for bring
See all rhymes for bring →Frequently asked questions
What does “bring” mean?
The word “bring” means to carry or take someone or something to a place. In plain terms, to carry, take, or cause something — moving an object, person, or result toward a place or situation.
How do you pronounce “bring”?
“Bring” is pronounced BRIHNG (/ˈbɹɪŋ/ in IPA).
How do you use “bring” in a sentence?
Here is “bring” used in a sentence: “Can you bring your laptop to the meeting?”
What part of speech is “bring”?
“Bring” is a verb.
Where does the word “bring” come from?
The word “bring” comes from Old English. From Old English bringan, an ancient Germanic verb that has meant "to carry something to a place" for well over a thousand years.
Is “bring” a common word?
“Bring” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “bring” have?
“Bring” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to carry or take someone or something to a place.
What is the difference between bring and take?
Bring means to carry something toward the speaker or the place they are — 'Bring it here.' Take means to carry something away from the speaker to another place — 'Take it there.' The choice depends on the direction of movement relative to where the speaker is standing or focused.
What is the past tense of bring?
The past tense and past participle are both 'brought' — 'She brought her laptop.' Bring is an irregular verb, so it does not follow the usual '-ed' pattern. Forms such as 'brang' or 'brung' are sometimes heard in casual speech but are considered non-standard in writing.
What does it mean to bring something up?
To bring something up usually means to raise a topic in conversation — 'She brought up the budget.' It can also mean to raise a child, or, more literally, to carry something to a higher place. Bring forms many such phrasal verbs, including bring about, bring on, and bring back.
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