carry on
[verb]
Synonyms:
- continue, endure, keep going, last, maintain, perpetuate, persevere, persist
- make a fuss, create (slang), misbehave, raise Cain

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English Thesaurus: continue, last, go on, carry on, drag on, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

carry on phrasal verb (see also carry)

1. especially British English to continue doing something:
Sorry, I interrupted you. Please carry on.
carry on doing something
You’ll have an accident if you carry on driving like that.
carry on with
I want to carry on with my course.
carry on as usual/as you are/regardless etc

2. to continue moving:
He stopped and looked back, then carried on down the stairs.
Carry straight on until you get to the traffic lights.

3. carry on something if you carry on a particular kind of work or activity, you do it or take part in it:
Mr Dean carried on his baking business until he retired.
It was so noisy it was hard to carry on a conversation.

4. spoken to talk in an annoying way
carry on about
I wish everyone would stop carrying on about it.

5. old-fashioned to have a sexual relationship with someone, when you should not:
Lucy confessed to carrying on behind her husband’s back.
carry on with
She was carrying on with a neighbour.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

I. ˈcarry-on¹ noun [countable]

1. British English spoken a situation in which someone behaves in a silly or annoying way:
What a carry-on!

2. American English a bag that you are allowed to take onto a plane with you
⇒ carry on at carry¹

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. carry-on² adjective [only before noun]
carry-on bags are ones that you are allowed to take onto a plane with you

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

continue to happen without stopping:
The good weather seems likely to continue.
Unless there are serious negotiations, the fighting will continue.
Some people have lost work, and this will continue to happen until the computer system is fixed.
The review process is expected to continue for several weeks.
last to continue – use this to say how long something continues for:
I know my good luck won’t last forever.
It’s not certain how long the ceasefire will last.
The trial lasted for six days.
The meeting lasted until lunchtime.
The training period lasted from July 2 to August 25.
go on to continue, especially for a long time:
Disputes between neighbours can go on for years.
carry on British English to continue, especially when there are problems:
The game carried on despite the injury of two players.
drag on to continue for much longer than necessary or for longer than you want:
The meeting dragged on for another hour.
The talks dragged on, with no apparent hope of achieving a peaceful solution.
persist formal if something bad persists, it continues to exist or happen:
See your doctor if the symptoms persist.
If adverse weather conditions persist, the game will be cancelled.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

continue to not stop doing something that you are already doing:
We need the money to continue our work.
They continued arguing for a long time.
Despite all the warnings, many people continue to smoke.
Sometimes she just couldn’t see the point of continuing.
My teacher advised me to continue with my studies.
go on (also carry on especially British English) to continue doing something. Go on is less formal than continue, and is the phrase that people usually use in everyday English:
Dan went on talking but she was no longer listening.
He carried on with his day job.
Sheehan has carried on with her campaign.
keep (on) doing something [not in progressive] to continue doing something for a long time – especially so that you feel tired or annoyed:
We kept on walking until we got to the top of the hill.
The man kept staring at me.
persevere /ˌpɜːsəˈvɪə, ˌpɜːsɪˈvɪə $ ˌpɜːrsəˈvɪr/ to continue trying to do something in a very patient and determined way, in spite of difficulties. Persevere sounds rather formal:
He didn’t know any English, but he persevered and became a good student.
Her health was rapidly declining but she persevered with her duties.
Stevenson persevered in his efforts to discover what had really happened.
Children today seem less willing to seek out challenges and persevere in the face of adversity.
last to continue – use this to say how long something continues for:
I know my good luck won’t last forever.
It’s not certain how long the ceasefire will last.
The trial lasted for six days.
The meeting lasted until lunchtime.
The training period lasted from July 2 to August 25.
carry on British English to continue, especially when there are problems:
The game carried on despite the injury of two players.
drag on to continue for much longer than necessary or for longer than you want:
The meeting dragged on for another hour.
The talks dragged on, with no apparent hope of achieving a peaceful solution.
persist formal if something bad persists, it continues to exist or happen:
See your doctor if the symptoms persist.
If adverse weather conditions persist, the game will be cancelled.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

last most recent or nearest to the present time:
His last film was much better.
It rained all day last Saturday.
The last time I saw her was two years ago.
previous before this one, or before the one that you are talking about:
See the diagram in the previous chapter.
His previous records had all been jazz records.
How much were you earning in your previous job?
former [only before noun] formal existing or having a particular position in the past, but not now:
the former Soviet Union
the former US president
Interest rates are unlikely to return to their former level.
the former Chief Executive
old [only before noun] used about a person or thing that existed in the past, but has been replaced by a newer one:
an old boyfriend
The old model was much slower.
final [only before noun] last in a series of actions, events, parts of a story etc:
It’s the final game of the championship tomorrow.
the final scene of the film
closing [only before noun] used about the last part of a long period of time, or of an event, book etc that has been exciting or interesting:
the closing years of the twentieth century
Barnes scored the winning goal in the closing minutes of the game.
concluding [only before noun] used about the last part of a piece of writing, a speech, or an organized event, that ends it in a definite way:
the concluding section of the report
the judge’s concluding remarks
penultimate /peˈnʌltəmət, peˈnʌltɪmət, pə-/ [only before noun] the one before the last one:
the penultimate chapter
continue to happen without stopping:
The good weather seems likely to continue.
Unless there are serious negotiations, the fighting will continue.
Some people have lost work, and this will continue to happen until the computer system is fixed.
The review process is expected to continue for several weeks.
go on to continue, especially for a long time:
Disputes between neighbours can go on for years.
carry on British English to continue, especially when there are problems:
The game carried on despite the injury of two players.
drag on to continue for much longer than necessary or for longer than you want:
The meeting dragged on for another hour.
The talks dragged on, with no apparent hope of achieving a peaceful solution.
persist formal if something bad persists, it continues to exist or happen:
See your doctor if the symptoms persist.
If adverse weather conditions persist, the game will be cancelled.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

carry on
1.
to continue to do or be involved in something.
Dianne is carrying on the family tradition by becoming a lawyer.

It's hard to carry on a business and take care of a small child at the same time.

2.
to behave in a manner that is not controlled.
The kids have been carrying on all day.

3.
to continue behaving in a particular way.
You've got to carry on as though nothing happened.

4.
to continuously complain about something.
My grandmother carried on about the bad language she hears on TV.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

carry on
to continue, to keep doing something as before
We were permitted to carry on with the party after we talked to the apartment manager.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

carry on
v.
1. To work at; be busy with; manage.
Bill and his father carried on a hardware business.
Mr. Jones and Mr. Smith carried on a long correspondence with each other.
2. To keep doing as before; continue.
After his father died, Bill carried on with the business.
The colonel told the soldiers to carry on while he was gone.
Though tired and hungry, the Scouts carried on until they reached camp.
Compare: BEAR UP², GO ON.
3a. informal To behave in a noisy, foolish, and troublesome manner.
The boys carried on in the swimming pool until the lifeguard ordered them out.
3b. informal To make too great a show of feeling, such as anger, grief, and pain.
John carried on for ten minutes after he hit his thumb with the hammer.
Compare: TAKE ON⁴.
4. informal To act in an immoral or scandalous way; act disgracefully.
The townspeople said that he was carrying on with a neighbor girl.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲