Bring up
phrasal verb brings up (3rd person singular), brought up (past simple/past participle), bringing up (present participle)
Definition
1. To mention or introduce a topic in conversation.
2. To raise and care for a child.
3. To vomit or regurgitate.
4. To display something on a screen.
5. To move something upward.
6. To cause something to reach a certain level.
2. To raise and care for a child.
3. To vomit or regurgitate.
4. To display something on a screen.
5. To move something upward.
6. To cause something to reach a certain level.
Context Alive
She had been dreading the moment when someone would bring up the subject of her recent divorce at the family gathering, but surprisingly everyone respected her privacy and kept the conversation focused on lighter topics throughout the entire evening.
Meanings
12 meanings 1 To Mention or Introduce a Topic in Conversation — VERY COMMON Common ▼
This is probably the meaning you’ll use and hear most frequently. When you bring up something, you introduce it into a conversation—starting to talk about a subject that wasn’t being discussed before. You might bring up a concern at a meeting. Someone might bring up an uncomfortable memory. Friends bring up topics they want to discuss. It’s how new subjects enter conversations.
Vivid ExampleHe waited until everyone had finished eating before he brought up the issue of moving his elderly mother into their home, knowing the conversation would be difficult and not wanting to ruin dinner with a topic that was sure to cause tension.
2 To Raise and Care for a Child — VERY COMMON Common ▼
When you bring up children, you raise them—providing care, education, values, and guidance from childhood to adulthood. Parents bring up their kids. Grandparents sometimes bring up grandchildren. The way you were brought up shapes who you become. It encompasses everything involved in turning a helpless baby into a functioning adult.
Vivid ExampleHer grandmother had brought her up single-handedly after her parents died in the accident, working two jobs while somehow still finding time to help with homework and attend every school performance.
3 To Vomit or Regurgitate — COMMON Common ▼
In a more unpleasant sense, to bring up means to vomit—food or drink coming back up from the stomach. It’s a slightly gentler, more polite way of describing the act than harsher alternatives. Babies bring up milk. Sick people bring up their meals. It’s never pleasant but it’s a common usage.
Vivid ExampleThe seasickness hit him so suddenly that he barely made it to the railing before bringing up everything he had eaten for breakfast, while the crew members watched sympathetically, having seen countless first-time sailors suffer the same fate.
4 To Display Something on a Screen — COMMON Common ▼
In our digital age, we constantly bring up things on screens—websites, documents, images, applications. Can you bring up that spreadsheet? Let me bring up the map. Bring up the security footage. It means to open, display, or access something digitally so it appears on a monitor or device.
Vivid ExampleThe detective asked the technician to bring up the security camera footage from the night of the robbery, watching the grainy images carefully for any detail that might help identify the suspects who had vanished without a trace.
5 To Cause Something to Reach a Certain Level — COMMON Common ▼
You can bring up standards, numbers, quality, or performance—raising them to a higher level. Teachers bring up students’ grades. Managers bring up productivity. Coaches bring up performance levels. It’s about improving or increasing something that was lower than desired.
Vivid ExampleThe new tutor managed to bring up his math grade from a failing D to a solid B in just one semester, using creative teaching methods that finally made the confusing concepts click in ways his regular teacher had never achieved.
6 To Move Something Physically Upward — COMMON Common ▼
This is the most literal meaning—physically moving something from a lower position to a higher one. Bring up the boxes from the basement. Bring up the chairs from storage. Bring up water from the well. It’s simple, physical transportation in an upward direction.
Vivid ExampleCould you bring up some more wine from the cellar while you’re down there, she called to her husband, knowing they would need at least two more bottles to get through dinner with her talkative in-laws.
7 'Well Brought Up' — Raised with Good Manners — VERY COMMON Common ▼
When someone is “well brought up,” they were raised with good manners, values, and behavior. It’s a compliment to both the person and their parents. The opposite—”badly brought up“—suggests someone who lacks proper upbringing and shows it through rude or inappropriate behavior.
Vivid ExampleThe grandmother nodded approvingly when the young man stood up as she approached the table, held the door for others, and said please and thank you—clearly someone who had been well brought up by parents who understood the importance of manners.
8 'Bring Up the Rear' — To Be at the Back of a Group — COMMON Common ▼
When someone “brings up the rear,” they’re at the back of a moving group—the last ones in a line, a procession, or a race. It can be neutral (someone has to be last) or slightly negative (implying slowness or poor performance). Military units have people assigned to bring up the rear to ensure no one is left behind.
Vivid ExampleThe youngest children brought up the rear of the hiking group, their short legs struggling to keep pace with the adults while the guide frequently stopped to let everyone catch up and stay together.
9 'Don't Bring It Up' — Don't Mention It — VERY COMMON Common ▼
This common warning tells someone to avoid mentioning a particular topic—usually because it’s sensitive, embarrassing, or likely to cause problems. “Don’t bring up politics.” “Whatever you do, don’t bring up his ex-wife.” It’s about steering clear of conversational landmines.
Vivid ExampleHer sister warned her not to bring up anything about the failed business venture at Thanksgiving dinner, explaining that their father was still devastated by the loss and any mention of it would ruin the entire holiday for everyone.
10 'Bring Up to Speed' — Inform Someone of Current Developments — VERY COMMON Common ▼
When you “bring someone up to speed,” you give them the information they need to understand the current situation—filling in what they missed or don’t know. New employees get brought up to speed. People returning from vacation get brought up to speed. It’s about closing knowledge gaps.
Vivid ExampleAfter missing three weeks with the flu, she asked her colleague to bring her up to speed on everything that had happened while she was gone, taking frantic notes as she discovered how much the project had changed in her absence.
11 'Keep Bringing Up' — Repeatedly Mention — COMMON Common ▼
When someone “keeps bringing up” something, they mention it again and again—often annoyingly. Spouses who keep bringing up past mistakes. Friends who keep bringing up embarrassing stories. People who can’t let go of topics keep bringing them up until everyone wishes they would stop.
Vivid ExampleShe wished her mother would stop bringing up the time she crashed the car as a teenager, an incident that happened fifteen years ago but somehow still appeared in every family conversation as if it had happened yesterday.
12 'Brought Up On' — Raised with Exposure to Something — COMMON Common ▼
When you were “brought up on” something, you were raised with constant exposure to it—music, food, values, or experiences that shaped your childhood. People are brought up on certain cuisines, brought up on particular music, brought up on specific traditions. It becomes part of who they are.
Vivid ExampleHaving been brought up on classical music by her pianist mother, she found it difficult to appreciate the heavy metal her roommate played constantly, though she eventually learned to tolerate it and even found a few songs she secretly enjoyed.
Examples from the Street
“Don’t bring up politics at dinner — it always causes arguments.”
Don’t mention or introduce the topic of politics during the meal
“She was brought up by her grandparents.”
She was raised by her grandparents; they looked after her as a child
“I hate to bring this up, but you owe me money.”
I don’t want to mention this, but you have a debt to me
Common Patterns
bring up a topic/subject/issue → mention; introduce into conversation
bring up a point/question → raise for discussion
bring it up → mention it; raise the matter
don’t bring it up → don’t mention it
I hate to bring this up, but… → reluctant introduction of difficult topic
bring up children → raise; care for from childhood
be brought up (by someone) → be raised by someone
be brought up (in a place) → be raised in a location
be brought up to do something → be raised with certain values or habits
well brought up / badly brought up → raised with good/poor manners
bring up food/drink → vomit; be sick
bring up your breakfast/lunch → vomit what you ate
Collocations
4 collocationsbring up a topic
introduce a subject into conversation
bring up children
raise and care for kids
don't bring it up
avoid mentioning that subject
bring up the past
mention events from earlier times
Example Sentences
12 examples
1
Why did you have to bring up my ex at the party?
Why did you have to mention my former partner at the gathering?
2
She brought up an interesting point during the meeting
She raised a fascinating issue during the discussion.
3
I hate to bring this up, but your report has several errors
I’m reluctant to mention this, but your document contains multiple mistakes.
4
Please don’t bring it up again — the matter is closed
Please don’t mention it anymore — the issue is finished.
5
He was brought up in a small village in Wales
He was raised in a tiny community in that part of Britain.
6
She was brought up by a single mother who worked two jobs
She was raised by an unmarried parent who held down two positions.
7
I was brought up to always say please and thank you
I was raised with the habit of always being polite.
8
You can tell he’s well brought up — he has excellent manners
You can see he was raised properly — he behaves very politely.
9
The baby brought up most of her milk after feeding
The infant vomited most of her drink after being fed.
10
Bringing up three children on your own is incredibly hard
Raising three kids alone is extremely difficult.
Learner Examples
★
Students often hesitate to bring up questions in class because they’re afraid of looking foolish
Learners frequently hesitate to raise queries during lessons because they’re worried about appearing silly.
★
Being brought up bilingual gives children a huge advantage in language learning later
Being raised speaking two tongues provides kids with an enormous benefit when acquiring languages in the future.
Phrasal Verbs & Idioms
1 items
Phrasal Verbsbring up to speed — update someone on developments
Can you bring me up to speed on what happened at the meeting?
Synonyms & Antonyms
7 items
Synonymsmention
introducing a topic
raise
starting a discussion about
bring to attention
highlighting an issue
rear
raising a child
Antonymsavoid
not talking about something
drop
stopping a topic
ignore
not mentioning something