bring up
- 01 B1 Intermediate
to care for a child and help them grow into an adult.
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.
Simple“He was brought up in a small town by his aunt and uncle.”
In context“Having been brought up in a bilingual household, she navigated the cultural nuances of both countries with remarkable ease and sensitivity.”
UsageOften used in the passive voice (e.g., 'to be brought up').
PitfallShe 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.
- 02 B1 Intermediate
to start talking about a specific subject during a conversation.
to introduce a subject or issue into a discussion or conversation. The object can be placed between 'bring' and 'up'.
Simple“I didn't want to bring up the budget during our lunch break.”
In context“The chairperson decided to bring up the matter of the declining quarterly profits at the very end of the board meeting.”
UsageSeparable: 'bring the subject up' or 'bring up the subject'.
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
to empty the contents of your stomach through your mouth because you feel sick.
to vomit or regurgitate food or liquid. This sense is slightly more polite than 'throw up' but remains informal.
Simple“The baby brought up a little bit of milk after being fed.”
In context“The patient reported that he was unable to keep any solid food down and would bring up even small sips of water.”
UsageCommonly used in British English when discussing illness or infants.
Synonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
to make someone appear in court or before an authority for a crime.
to cause someone to appear before a court or a person in authority to be judged or punished.
Simple“He was brought up on charges of theft after the police found the goods.”
In context“The officer was brought up before the disciplinary committee to answer for the alleged breach of protocol during the investigation.”
UsageUsually followed by 'on' (charges) or 'before' (an authority).
- 05 C1 Advanced
to start a computer or a machine so that it is ready to use.
to start or power up a mechanical or electronic system, particularly in a controlled or sequential manner.
Simple“It took several minutes to bring up the main server after the power cut.”
In context“The engineering team worked through the night to bring up the new network infrastructure before the start of the business day.”
distinguish between the 'mention' sense and the 'raise a child' sense; note that 'upbringing' is the related noun for the latter.
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.