BRING UP

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does bring up mean? 

• BRING UP (verb)
  The verb BRING UP has 8 senses:

1. summon into action or bring into existence, often as if by magic

2. look after a child until it is an adult

3. promote from a lower position or rank

4. raise from a lower to a higher position

5. cause to come to a sudden stop

6. put forward for consideration or discussion

7. make reference to

8. cause to load (an operating system) and start the initial processes

  Familiarity information: BRING UP used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BRING UP (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Summon into action or bring into existence, often as if by magic

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

arouse; bring up; call down; call forth; conjure; conjure up; evoke; invoke; put forward; raise; stir

Context example:

call down the spirits from the mountain

Hypernyms (to "bring up" is one way to...):

call up; summon (cause to become available for use, either literally or figuratively)

Verb group:

call forth; evoke; kick up; provoke (evoke or provoke to appear or occur)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "bring up"):

bless (give a benediction to)

anathemise; anathemize; bedamn; beshrew; curse; damn; imprecate; maledict (wish harm upon; invoke evil upon)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Look after a child until it is an adult

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

bring up; nurture; parent; raise; rear

Context example:

bring up children

Cause:

grow up (become an adult)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "bring up"):

fledge (feed, care for, and rear young birds for flight)

cradle (bring up from infancy)

foster (bring up under fosterage; of children)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 3

Meaning:

Promote from a lower position or rank

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Context example:

This player was brought up to the major league

Hypernyms (to "bring up" is one way to...):

advance; elevate; kick upstairs; promote; raise; upgrade (give a promotion to or assign to a higher position)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 4

Meaning:

Raise from a lower to a higher position

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

bring up; elevate; get up; lift; raise

Context example:

Lift a load

Hypernyms (to "bring up" is one way to...):

displace; move (cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

Cause:

arise; come up; go up; lift; move up; rise; uprise (move upward)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "bring up"):

trice; trice up (raise with a line)

erect; rear (cause to rise up)

gather up; lift up; pick up (take and lift upward)

boost; hike; hike up (increase)

heighten (increase the height of)

leaven; prove; raise (cause to puff up with a leaven)

chin; chin up (raise oneself while hanging from one's hands until one's chin is level with the support bar)

pinnacle (raise on or as if on a pinnacle)

skid (elevate onto skids)

underlay (raise or support (the level of printing) by inserting a piece of paper or cardboard under the type)

levitate (cause to rise in the air and float, as if in defiance of gravity)

pump (raise (gases or fluids) with a pump)

hoist (move from one place to another by lifting)

hoist; run up (raise)

hoist; lift; wind (raise or haul up with or as if with mechanical help)

kick up (cause to rise by kicking)

shoulder (lift onto one's shoulders)

jack; jack up (lift with a special device)

get up (cause to rise)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Sentence example:

The men bring up the chairs

Sense 5

Meaning:

Cause to come to a sudden stop

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

The noise brought her up in shock

Hypernyms (to "bring up" is one way to...):

stop (cause to stop)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 6

Meaning:

Put forward for consideration or discussion

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

bring up; raise

Context example:

bring up an unpleasant topic

Hypernyms (to "bring up" is one way to...):

advert; bring up; cite; mention; name; refer (make reference to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 7

Meaning:

Make reference to

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

advert; bring up; cite; mention; name; refer

Context example:

His name was mentioned in connection with the invention

Hypernyms (to "bring up" is one way to...):

have in mind; mean; think of (intend to refer to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "bring up"):

speak of the devil (mention someone's name who just then appears)

remember (mention favorably, as in prayer)

cite; quote (refer to for illustration or proof)

touch on (refer to or discuss briefly)

appeal; invoke (cite as an authority; resort to)

namedrop (refer to people that one assumes one's interlocutors admire in order to try to impress them)

bring up; raise (put forward for consideration or discussion)

drag up; dredge up (mention something unpleasant from the past)

cross-refer (refer from one entry to another, as in catalogues, books, and lists)

commend; remember (mention as by way of greeting or to indicate friendship)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 8

Meaning:

Cause to load (an operating system) and start the initial processes

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

boot; bring up; reboot

Context example:

boot your computer

Hypernyms (to "bring up" is one way to...):

resuscitate; revive (cause to regain consciousness)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

This may bring up startling news about a home and family matter.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

You may bring my harness from below, said Sir Nigel to his squires, and also, I pray you, bring up Sir Oliver's and we shall don it here.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It helps bring up a sample of mucus from deep in the lungs and improves the quality of the sample for testing.

(INS316, NCI Dictionary)

Then get ready at once. I will bring up my bag.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

We were laughing over it when all of a sudden his eye was on us, and he ordered Susie to bring up her slate.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Just ring the bell and the maid will bring up your coffee.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Here you, matey, he cried to the man who trundled the barrow; bring up alongside and help up my chest.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Have you not tethered a young kid under a tree, lain above it with your rifle, and waited for the bait to bring up your tiger?

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Then the judge sent out his officers to bring up the accused wherever they should find him; and he was soon caught and brought up to be tried.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

Ambrose, you will bring up the batteris de toilette at five.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)