Phrasal verb
bring up
Definitions
01to raise children
B1 · Intermediate
phr.v. to care for a child and help them grow into an adult.
phr.v. to care for and educate a child until they reach adulthood. Inseparable when the object is a pronoun, but the noun object can sit between the verb and particle.
日本語:育てる※
“He was brought up in a small town by his aunt and uncle.”
“Having been brought up in a bilingual household, she navigated the cultural nuances of both countries with remarkable ease and sensitivity.”
Usage
Often used in the passive voice (e.g., 'to be brought up').
Pitfall
She was brought up from her grandparents.
She was brought up by her grandparents.
Use the preposition 'by' to indicate the people who raised the child.
Antonyms
02to mention a topic
B1 · Intermediate
phr.v. to start talking about a specific subject during a conversation.
phr.v. to introduce a subject or issue into a discussion or conversation. The object can be placed between 'bring' and 'up'.
日本語:持ち出す※
“I didn't want to bring up the budget during our lunch break.”
“The chairperson decided to bring up the matter of the declining quarterly profits at the very end of the board meeting.”
Usage
Separable: 'bring the subject up' or 'bring up the subject'.
03to vomit
B2 · Upper Intermediate British English · Informal
phr.v. to empty the contents of your stomach through your mouth because you feel sick.
phr.v. to vomit or regurgitate food or liquid. This sense is slightly more polite than 'throw up' but remains informal.
“The baby brought up a little bit of milk after being fed.”
“The patient reported that he was unable to keep any solid food down and would bring up even small sips of water.”
Usage
Commonly used in British English when discussing illness or infants.
Synonyms
04to charge legally
C1 · Advanced Law Formal
phr.v. to make someone appear in court or before an authority for a crime.
phr.v. to cause someone to appear before a court or a person in authority to be judged or punished.
“He was brought up on charges of theft after the police found the goods.”
“The officer was brought up before the disciplinary committee to answer for the alleged breach of protocol during the investigation.”
Usage
Usually followed by 'on' (charges) or 'before' (an authority).
05to start a system
C1 · Advanced Computing Technical
phr.v. to start a computer or a machine so that it is ready to use.
phr.v. to start or power up a mechanical or electronic system, particularly in a controlled or sequential manner.
“It took several minutes to bring up the main server after the power cut.”
“The engineering team worked through the night to bring up the new network infrastructure before the start of the business day.”
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “bring up” in context.
Verb
01. bring up a point
“She brought up an interesting point during the meeting yesterday.”
verb + noun
02. bring up children
“It is very difficult to bring up children in a big, noisy city.”
verb + noun
03. bring up the past
“Please don't bring up the past every time we have a small argument.”
verb + noun
04. bring up the subject
“I didn't want to bring up the subject of money during our first dinner.”
verb + noun
Adverb
05. carefully bring up the issue
“You should carefully bring up the issue with your boss tomorrow.”
adv + verb
06. well brought up
“The children were very well brought up and always said please and thank you.”
adv + verb
Teaching tip
distinguish between the 'mention' sense and the 'raise a child' sense; note that 'upbringing' is the related noun for the latter.
Etymology
From Middle English bryngen up, dissimilated from Middle English upbryngen (“to bring up, raise”). Doublet of upbring.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Phrasal verb
Particles
up
Separability
optional
Pattern
bring + object + up
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0