Meanings
bring1
present singular third person brings · participle present bringing · past brought · colloquial dialectal past brang · participle past brought · colloquial dialectal participle past brung · dialectal participle past rare broughten · first person past singular brought · dialectal first person past singular brang · first person nonstandard past singular brung · first person nonstandard past singular bringed · archaic present second person singular bringest · past second person singular brought · dialectal past second person singular brang · nonstandard past second person singular brung · nonstandard past second person singular bringed
- ditransitivetransitiveTo transport toward somebody/somewhere.
Waiter, please bring me a single malt whiskey.
4 more examples
Ne take noon hede to brynge togidere þe parties of þe boon þat is to-broken or dislocate, til viij. daies ben goon in þe wyntir, & v. in þe somer; for þanne it schal make quytture, and be sikir from swellynge; & þanne brynge togidere þe brynkis eiþer þe disiuncture after þe techynge þat schal be seid in þe chapitle of algebra.
a1420, The British Museum Additional MS, 12,056, “Wounds complicated by the Dislocation of a Bone”, in Robert von Fleischhacker, editor, Lanfranc's "Science of cirurgie.", London: K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co, translation of original by Lanfranc of Milan, published 1894, →ISBN, page 63At twilight in the summer[…]the mice come out. They[…]eat the luncheon crumbs. Mr. Checkly, for instance, always brought his dinner in a paper parcel in his coat-tail pocket, and ate it when so disposed, sprinkling crumbs lavishly[…]on the floor.
1892, Walter Besant, chapter II, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLCA waiter brought his aperitif, which was a small scotch and soda, and as he sipped it gratefully he sighed. ¶ ‘Civilized,’ he said to Mr. Campion. ‘Humanizing.’[…]‘Cigars and summer days and women in big hats with swansdown face-powder, that's what it reminds me of.’
1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 5, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLCNext month, Clemons will be brought before a court presided over by a "special master", who will review the case one last time.
2012 August 21, Ed Pilkington, “Death penalty on trial: should Reggie Clemons live or die?”, in The Guardian - figurativelytransitiveTo supply or contribute.
The new company director brought a fresh perspective on sales and marketing.
1 more example
“[…]it is not fair of you to bring against mankind double weapons ! Dangerous enough you are as woman alone, without bringing to your aid those gifts of mind suited to problems which men have been accustomed to arrogate to themselves.”
1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC - transitiveTo occasion or bring about.
Let's bring our differences to an issue.
2 more examples
The controversial TV broadcast brought a storm of complaints.
Seeing her brought the memories flooding back and tears to my eyes.
- transitiveTo raise (a lawsuit, charges, etc.) against somebody.
It has jailed environmental activists and is planning to limit the power of judicial oversight by handing a state-approved body a monopoly over bringing environmental lawsuits.
2013 August 10, “Can China clean up fast enough?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848 - To persuade; to induce; to draw; to lead; to guide.
It seems so preposterous a thing[…]that they do not easily bring themselves to it.
1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], chapter 2, in An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC, book I, page 11 - To produce in exchange; to sell for; to fetch.
What does coal bring per ton?
- ball gamesTo pitch, often referring to a particularly hard thrown fastball.
The closer Jones can really bring it.
bring2
- The sound of a telephone ringing.
Near-synonyms: ring-a-ding, ding-a-ling
4 more examples
Having a telephone was a novelty; the cat certainly thought so as Charlie would yowl every time it rang, just in case the “bring bring” sound was not sufficient enough to bring to your attention that someone was attempting to contact you telephonically.
2011, Angela Russell, “Keeping House”, in Thatcher’s Children: An Account of Growing Up and Surviving in the 1980s, [Tyneside]: Grimalhame Press, →ISBN, chapter 2 (Staying In), page 28A shrill bring bring sounded down the hall. The doorbell? Nope, the phone. I hesitated, drawn by the bath’s enticing promise. Bring bring. Let the phone ring.
2011, Cate Lord, chapter 7, in Lucky Girl, Fort Collins, Colo.: Entangled Publishing, →ISBN, page 76I get up from the bed and walk to the wardrobe and all the while the phone keeps on ringing. It’s one of the basic ringtones that you get on every mobile, a bring-bring sound.
2011 February, Jim Carrington, “Ash”, in In the Bag, London: Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN, pages 83–84A gentle bring-bring sounded with interruption. A phone on a side table next to Victor Zarruq.
2023, J. A. Bouma, chapter 9, in End of Days (Order of Thaddeus; 13), Grand Rapids, Mich.: EmmausWay Press, →ISBNSynonyms: ringaling, tingaling, ring-a-ding, ding-a-ling
Bring3
- A surname from German or Swedish.
Synonyms & antonyms
interjectionThe sound of a telephone ringing.
More synonyms by meaning
verbgo or come after and bring or take back
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
bring · verb
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰrenk-
- Proto-Germanic*bringaną“to bring”
- Proto-West Germanic*bringan
- Old Englishbringan
- Middle Englishbryngen
- Englishbring
From Middle English bryngen, from Old English bringan, from Proto-West Germanic *bringan, from Proto-Germanic *bringaną (“to bring”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrenk-, possibly based on *bʰer-. Compare Scots bring, West Frisian bringe, Low German brengen, Dutch brengen, Afrikaans bring, German bringen; also Welsh hebrwng (“to bring, lead”), Tocharian B pränk- (“to take away; restrain oneself, hold back”), Latvian brankti (“lying close”), Lithuanian branktas (“whiffletree”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans bring
- bringto transport toward somebody/somewhere
Ancient Greek ἄγω, φέρω
- ἄγω (ágō)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
- φέρω (phérō)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
- ἐπάγω (epágō)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
Arabic أَحْضَرَ, جَاءَ بِـ
- أَحْضَرَ (ʔaḥḍara)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
- جَاءَ بِـ (jāʔa bi-)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
- أَتَى بِـ (ʔatā bi-)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
- جَلَبَ (jalaba)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
Basque ekarri
- ekarrito transport toward somebody/somewhere
Bengali আনা
- আনা (ana)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
Bulgarian дона́сям, дове́ждам
- дона́сям (donásjam)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
- дове́ждам (dovéždam)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
Catalan portar
- portarto transport toward somebody/somewhere
Chinese Mandarin 帶來 /带来, 帶去 /带去
- 帶來 /带来 (dàilái)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
- 帶去 /带去 (dàiqu)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
Czech přinášet, přinést
- přinášetto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- přinéstto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- přivádětto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- přivéstto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- přivážetto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- přivéztto transport toward somebody/somewhere
Danish bringe
- bringeto transport toward somebody/somewhere
Dutch brengen
- brengento transport toward somebody/somewhere
Esperanto alkonduki, alporti
- alkondukito transport toward somebody/somewhere
- alportito transport toward somebody/somewhere
Estonian tooma
- toomato transport toward somebody/somewhere
Finnish tuoda, viedä
- tuodato transport toward somebody/somewhere
- viedäto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- syöttääbaseball: to pitch
French apporter, amener
- apporterto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- amenerto transport toward somebody/somewhere
German bringen, holen
- bringento transport toward somebody/somewhere
- holento transport toward somebody/somewhere
Greek φέρνω
- φέρνω (férno)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
Hawaiian lawe mai, hō mai
- lawe maito transport toward somebody/somewhere
- hō maito transport toward somebody/somewhere
Hebrew הֵבִיא
- הֵבִיא (heví)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
Hindi लाना
- लाना (lānā)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
Hungarian hoz
- hozto transport toward somebody/somewhere
Icelandic færa, koma með
- færato transport toward somebody/somewhere
- koma meðto transport toward somebody/somewhere
Indonesian bawa, membawa
- bawato transport toward somebody/somewhere
- membawato transport toward somebody/somewhere
Irish tabhair
- tabhairto transport toward somebody/somewhere
Italian portare
- portareto transport toward somebody/somewhere
Japanese 持って来る, 持って行く
- 持って来る (motte-kuru)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
- 持って行く (motte-iku)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
Korean 가져오다, 가져다주다
- 가져오다 (gajeooda)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
- 가져다주다 (gajeodajuda)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
- 갖다주다 (gatdajuda)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
Latin addō, addūcō
- addōto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- addūcōto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- portōto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- afferōto transport toward somebody/somewhere
Latvian nest, atnest
- nestto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- atnestto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- ienestto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- vestto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- atvestto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- ievestto transport toward somebody/somewhere
Lithuanian atnešti
- atneštito transport toward somebody/somewhere
Malay bawa
- bawato transport toward somebody/somewhere
Māori homai, mau
- homaito transport toward somebody/somewhere
- mauto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- apatarito transport toward somebody/somewhere
Norwegian Bokmål bringe, ta med
- bringeto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- ta medto transport toward somebody/somewhere
Persian آوردن
- آوردن (âvardan)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
Polish przynosić, przynieść
- przynosićto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- przynieśćto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- przyprowadzaćto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- przyprowadzićto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- przywozićto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- przywieźćto transport toward somebody/somewhere
Portuguese trazer
- trazerto transport toward somebody/somewhere
Romanian aduce
- aduceto transport toward somebody/somewhere
Russian приноси́ть, принести́
- приноси́ть (prinosítʹ)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
- принести́ (prinestí)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
- приводи́ть (privodítʹ)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
- привести́ (privestí)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
- привози́ть (privozítʹ)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
- привезти́ (priveztí)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
Scottish Gaelic thoir
- thoirto transport toward somebody/somewhere
Slovak prinášať, priniesť
- prinášaťto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- priniesťto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- privádzaťto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- priviesťto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- privážaťto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- priviezťto transport toward somebody/somewhere
Spanish traer
- traerto transport toward somebody/somewhere
Swahili kuleta, kuletea
- kuletato transport toward somebody/somewhere
- kuleteato transport toward somebody/somewhere
Swedish ta med, bringa
- ta medto transport toward somebody/somewhere
- bringato transport toward somebody/somewhere
- medförato transport toward somebody/somewhere
- tillförato transport toward somebody/somewhere
Tagalog dala
- dalato transport toward somebody/somewhere
Tamil கொண்டுவா, கொண்டு
- கொண்டுவா (koṇṭuvā)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
- கொண்டு (koṇṭu)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
Thai นำ, เอามา
- นำ (nam)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
- เอามา (ao maa)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
Turkish getirmek
- getirmekto transport toward somebody/somewhere
Ukrainian прино́сити, принести́
- прино́сити (prynósyty)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
- принести́ (prynestý)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
- приво́дити (pryvódyty)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
- привести́ (pryvestý)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
- приво́зити (pryvózyty)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
- привезти́ (pryveztý)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
Urdu لانا
- لانا (lānā)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
Vietnamese mang
- mangto transport toward somebody/somewhere
Welsh dod â
- dod âto transport toward somebody/somewhere
Yiddish ברענגען
- ברענגען (brengen)to transport toward somebody/somewhere
Zulu letha
- lethato transport toward somebody/somewhere
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with bring
Cite this entry
bring. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bring
“bring.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bring. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bring,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bring.
Source: bring on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.