verb
brought up
brawt UP
Brought up (verb) means Raised and cared for as a child, taught particular values and manners; the past tense and past participle of bring up. Example: “She was brought up by her grandmother in Cork.”
verb
1
Raised and cared for as a child, taught particular values and manners; the past tense and past participle of bring up.
"She was brought up by her grandmother in Cork."
"He was brought up to say please and thank you."
2
Mentioned or introduced a subject in conversation.
"Nobody brought up the redundancies at the meeting."
"I wish you hadn't brought that up in front of her."
3
Vomited.
"The baby brought up most of her feed."
How to use brought up
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishRaised as a child, or mentioned in conversation.
When to use it
In the child-rearing sense, British English favours 'brought up' where American English often prefers 'raised'. Both are standard.
Memory tip
'Brought up' is passive — someone did it to you: 'I was brought up in Leeds'. 'Grew up' is active and takes no agent: 'I grew up in Leeds'.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
brought up in
brought up to believe
well brought up
brought up the subject
brought up short
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like brought up.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She was _____ by her grandmother in Cork.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 'brought up' and 'grew up'?
'Brought up' focuses on the people who raised you and the values they gave you, and normally appears in the passive: 'I was brought up strictly'. 'Grew up' focuses on you and the place or period, and is active: 'I grew up in the eighties'.
Is it 'brought up' or 'bring up'?
'Bring up' is the base form and 'brought up' is the past tense and past participle. So: I bring it up now, I brought it up yesterday, I have brought it up before.
What does 'well brought up' mean?
It describes someone raised with good manners, consideration and a sense of how to behave. It is a compliment about the upbringing as much as the person, and it sounds slightly old-fashioned.
What is the meaning of brought up?
"brought up" (verb) means raised and cared for as a child, taught particular values and manners; the past tense and past participle of bring up.
