bring

verb /brIN/ past tense and past participle brought /brO:t/ (T)

1 to take someone or something to the place you are now, to the place you are going to, or to the place that you have been talking about: Did you bring anything to drink? | Sheila was at the party and she brought that awful Ronnie with her! | bring sb sth: Could you bring me that chair?

2 to cause something such as a problem or reaction: The minister's speech brought an angry reaction from the Teachers' Association. | This whole venture has brought nothing but trouble!

3 bring with it if a change, action etc brings with it something such as a problem or advantage, the two things are connected and come together: Every scientific advance brings with it its own risks.

4 if something such as an event or fact brings people to a place, it makes them go there: The discovery of gold brought thousands of prospectors flocking to the Transvaal.

5 bring charges if the police bring charges against someone, they decide to charge them with a crime: There was a six-month investigation, but eventually no charges were brought.

6 not bring yourself to do sth if you cannot bring yourself to do something, you cannot make yourself do it: She couldn't bring herself to touch it.

7 bring sth into being formal to make something start to exist: The bureau was brought into being during the Second World War.

8 bring sth to the boil to heat liquid until it starts to boil

9 bring tears to your eyes/bring a lump to your throat to make you start to feel strong emotions such as pity, sadness, or happiness: To see them meet after all this time, it really brings a lump to your throat!

10 bring sth to an end/a close/a conclusion etc to make something finish or stop: It's time we brought this whole sordid affair to a close.

11 bring sth to bear formal to use pressure, influence etc to change a situation: Unfair pressure has been brought to bear upon the strikers to make them return.

12 bring sth to sb's attention/notice formal to tell someone about something: Thank you for bringing this mistake to our attention.

13 what brings you here? spoken used to show that you are surprised to see someone

14 bring home the bacon informal to earn the money that your family needs to live

-see also: bring sth to a head head 1 (45), bring sb to heel heel 1 (9), bring sb to their senses sense 1 (6), bring sth home to sb home 2 (4), bring sb/sth to their knees knee 1 (6) USAGE NOTE: BRING WORD CHOICE: bring, take, fetch, carry Bring means to take someone or something with you to the place where you are now, to your home, or to the place you have been talking about: They came to my party and brought me a present. | When I'm next in San Francisco, bring your new boyfriend to see me. | Have you brought your camera? Bring is also used in the same way for taking something towards the person being spoken to or talked about: Hold on, I'll bring you a towel. | They brought her everything she needed. Take involves moving in the opposite direction to bring: We went to her party and took her a present. | When I'm in San Francisco I'll take you to Alcatraz. | Take your camera when you go out (=NOT usually carry here). | Can you take me home now? Fetch in British English means to go and get something or someone and bring them back: Can you fetch Janice from the station? Carry does not give any idea as to the direction of movement, but suggests that you are holding something in your arms or with your hands: Will you carry the baby/the groceries for me?