CARRY ON

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does carry on mean? 

• CARRY ON (verb)
  The verb CARRY ON has 4 senses:

1. direct the course of; manage or control

2. keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last

3. continue talking

4. misbehave badly; act in a silly or improper way

  Familiarity information: CARRY ON used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CARRY ON (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Direct the course of; manage or control

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

carry on; conduct; deal

Context example:

You cannot conduct business like this

Hypernyms (to "carry on" is one way to...):

care; deal; handle; manage (be in charge of, act on, or dispose of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "carry on"):

racketeer (carry on illegal business activities involving crime)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

bear on; carry on; continue; preserve; uphold

Context example:

Carry on the old traditions

Hypernyms (to "carry on" is one way to...):

hold; keep; maintain (cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., 'keep clean')

Verb group:

continue; go forward; proceed (move ahead; travel onward in time or space)

continue; go along; go on; keep; proceed (continue a certain state, condition, or activity)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "carry on"):

re-start; restart; resume (take up or begin anew)

hang in; hang on; hold on; persevere; persist (be persistent, refuse to stop)

perpetuate (cause to continue or prevail)

keep up; prolong; sustain (lengthen or extend in duration or space)

mummify (preserve while making lifeless)

Sentence frames:

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

Sense 3

Meaning:

Continue talking

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

carry on; continue; go on; proceed

Context example:

carry on--pretend we are not in the room

Hypernyms (to "carry on" is one way to...):

speak; talk (exchange thoughts; talk with)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "carry on"):

segue (proceed without interruption; in music or talk)

jog; ramble; ramble on (continue talking or writing in a desultory manner)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE
Somebody ----s VERB-ing

Sense 4

Meaning:

Misbehave badly; act in a silly or improper way

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

act up; carry on

Context example:

The children acted up when they were not bored

Hypernyms (to "carry on" is one way to...):

misbehave; misconduct; misdemean (behave badly)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

 Context examples 

“Shall we turn, my fair lord, or shall we carry on?” asked the master-shipman, looking behind him with anxious eyes.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Remain in force or carry on without letup; keep or maintain in unaltered condition; exist in time or space without stop or interruption.

(Continue, NCI Thesaurus)

Fully active, able to carry on all pre-disease performance without restriction.

(ECOG Performance Status 0, NCI Thesaurus)

A finding associated with a patient with defined or presumed cardiac disease with inability to carry on any physical activity without discomfort.

(New York Heart Association Class IV, NCI Thesaurus)

Able to carry on normal activity; minor signs or symptoms of disease.

(Karnofsky Performance Status 90, NCI Thesaurus)

Cares for self; unable to carry on normal activity or do active work.

(Karnofsky Performance Status 70, NCI Thesaurus)

Survival mechanisms ensure that the cell will be able to adapt and carry on cellular activities such as replication, repair, and metabolism.

(Cell Survival, NCI Thesaurus)

Class IV - patients with cardiac disease resulting in inability to carry on any physical activity without discomfort.

(New York Heart Association Class III/IV, NCI Thesaurus)

It is but right, perhaps, that I should carry on the tale and show also the results.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

And that he should have such a strapping son and heir to carry on the race of Avon!

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)