bring something up

bring up

1. Literally, to bring someone or something to a higher point or position. A noun or pronoun can be used between "bring" and "up." Try to bring your leg up a little higher when doing this exercise. Please bring up the clean clothes when you come upstairs. Be sure to bring your sister up to my apartment the next time she's in town.

2. To mention someone or something in conversation. A noun or pronoun can be used between "bring" and "up." Don't bring up work tonight at dinner unless you want to hear Jeanne complain for three hours. I accidentally brought up Pam's surprise party to a few people who hadn't been invited. A: "Why did you bring up Don?" B: "How was I supposed to know they'd broken up?"

3. To vomit. A noun or pronoun can be used between "bring" and "up." The constant rocking of the boat is going to make me bring up my lunch! When I had food poisoning, it felt like I brought up everything I'd ever eaten in my life, ugh. The first time the rookie saw blood, he brought up his breakfast right there at the crime scene

4. To care for a child or animal from a young age; to raise a child or animal. A noun or pronoun can be used between "bring" and "up." Who will bring up my children if something happens to me? I brought this old cat up from a kitten. I feel like I really had a hand in bringing my stepdaughter up because she was only three when I met her dad.

5. To increase something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "bring" and "up." You need to bring up your volunteer hours if you hope to meet the requirement by graduation. We decided to bring his allowance up to $20 per week. I haven't noticed much of a change in my mood yet because the doctor is bringing the dose up very gradually.

6. To open a program or website for viewing on a computer screen. A noun or pronoun can be used between "bring" and "up." Next, you'll want to bring up the homepage. Bring up that email so I can take a look at it. I don't know what button I hit, but it brought up some sort of error page.

See also: bring, up

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

bring something up

1. tv. to mention something. (Standard English.) Why did you have to bring that up?

2. tv. to vomit something up; to cough something up. I did, and he brought up a nickel instead!

See also: bring, something, up

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.