carry-on
carry-on — adjective
1. describing a bag or item that is small enough to be kept with you in the cabin o
describing a bag or item that is small enough to be kept with you in the cabin of a plane, rather than being stored in the cargo hold
Keiko placed her carry-on suitcase in the overhead locker and took her seat.
collocation: carry-on suitcase / carry-on bag
Lin measured her carry-on bag against the metal sizing frame before joining the boarding queue.
Imran bought a smaller toiletries kit to meet the carry-on liquid restrictions.
Fatima's carry-on backpack weighed exactly seven kilos at the check-in gate.
The gate agent told Emmanuel his carry-on bag was too wide to fit under the seat.
- carry-on bag
- carry-on luggage
- carry-on suitcase
- carry-on allowance
- carry-on liquid
- portable
much broader — any item you can carry, not specific to air travel
- travel-size
refers to smaller versions of products, not to luggage itself
- hand
as in 'hand luggage' — same meaning but a different grammatical structure
- checked
describes luggage stored in the plane's hold, not kept with the passenger
Usage Note
Almost always used before a noun such as 'bag', 'luggage', or 'suitcase'. In British English, 'hand luggage' is a more common term for the general concept.
carry-on — noun
1. noisy, excited, or complaining behaviour that is far more dramatic than the situ
noisy, excited, or complaining behaviour that is far more dramatic than the situation calls for
There was a real carry-on at the post office when they ran out of passport forms.
Naledi's mum made such a carry-on about the broken vase that the neighbours came over.
British English: 'made such a carry-on' for a noisy fuss
From the hallway, Tariq heard his flatmates shouting — he sighed and asked what the carry-on was about this time.
The children stopped their carry-on the moment the head teacher walked in and gave them a stern look.
Diego told his brother to drop the carry-on and just explain what happened calmly.
- a real carry-on
- such a carry-on
- what a carry-on
- stop the carry-on
Grammar Patterns
a carry-on
such a carry-on
what a carry-on
Usage Note
Almost always singular and used with a determiner ('a carry-on', 'the carry-on', 'such a carry-on'). Common in British and Irish English; American speakers use 'fuss' or 'commotion' for the same meaning.
Common Mistakes
2. a small suitcase or bag that passengers are allowed to take into the cabin of an
a small suitcase or bag that passengers are allowed to take into the cabin of an aircraft with them
Oluwaseun packed his laptop and a book into his carry-on and headed to the airport.
The security officer asked Priyanka to open her carry-on for a closer check.
Amir's carry-on was too wide for the overhead bin, so the crew checked it in.
Thandiwe always travels with just a carry-on so she can skip the baggage queue.
collocation: travel with just a carry-on
The flight attendant helped Sven find space for his carry-on near the back of the cabin.
- pack a carry-on
- travel with a carry-on
- fit in a carry-on
- hand luggage
slightly broader — can refer to multiple items collectively, and is uncountable
- cabin bag
very specific to air travel; less common in everyday speech
- overnight bag
implies a short trip, not necessarily taken on a plane
- checked luggage
bags handed over at the check-in desk, stored in the aircraft's hold
Grammar Patterns
a carry-on
my carry-on
Usage Note
Countable. Often a shortened form of 'carry-on bag'. Distinguish from sense 1 (fuss): this sense refers to a physical object, not behaviour.
Common Mistakes
carry-on — phrasal verb
- carry-onbase form
- carry-ons3rd person singular
- carry-oning-ing form
- carry-onedpast simple
1. to keep going in the same direction without stopping or turning off
to keep going in the same direction without stopping or turning off
Carry on past the petrol station and you will see the hotel on your right.
direction: carry on + past + landmark
Hana told the taxi driver to carry on straight through the next two traffic lights.
Yara and Rafiq decided to carry on up the mountain path even though the light was fading fast.
Ignore the turning — just carry on until you reach the roundabout.
The parade carried on down the high street in spite of the light rain.
- carry on straight
- carry on past
- carry on down
- carry on along
- continue
more formal; does not carry the sense of physical direction as strongly
- keep going
very close in meaning; slightly more informal
- proceed
formal, often used in official instructions or signs
Grammar Patterns
carry on + straight/down/past/along
Usage Note
Intransitive. Almost always used with a direction word such as 'straight', 'down', 'past', or 'along'. Distinguish from sense 3 (continue an activity): this sense is about physical movement from one place to another.
2. to complain, argue, or make a noisy protest about something, often going on long
to complain, argue, or make a noisy protest about something, often going on longer than seems reasonable
Rami carried on about the cold soup for ten minutes before the waiter took it away.
pattern: carry on about + topic
Diego's uncle always carries on at family meals when someone brings up politics.
The customer carried on so loudly that the manager had to come out of the back office.
Priyanka carried on about her lost earring as if it had been worth a fortune.
Esther told her husband to stop carrying on about the flight delay — raging at the agent would not help.
- carry on about
- carry on loudly
Grammar Patterns
carry on + about + something
Usage Note
Almost always intransitive. The topic of complaint is normally introduced with 'about'. Distinguish from verb sense 2 (act up): this sense is specifically about noisy complaining, not wild or foolish behaviour in general.
Common Mistakes
3. to go on with an activity that you have already started, without stopping
to go on with an activity that you have already started, without stopping
Fatima told her students to carry on with the reading exercise while she answered the phone.
pattern: carry on with + noun
Even after the fire alarm test, the kitchen staff carried on preparing the meals.
Naledi carried on reading her book and did not notice the train had stopped.
The builders carried on working in spite of the noise from the roadworks outside.
Mr Yoshida told his son to carry on with his chess match — he would wait in the car.
- carry on with
- carry on working
- carry on reading
- carry on as usual
Grammar Patterns
carry on + with + noun
carry on + -ing
Usage Note
Often followed by 'with' + noun or by an -ing verb. Distinguish from sense 1 (keep moving): this sense is about continuing an activity, not about physical movement. Also distinguish from verb sense 1 (persevere): this sense describes neutral continuation, without any suggestion of difficulty.
4. to have a romantic or sexual relationship with someone, especially when it is ke
to have a romantic or sexual relationship with someone, especially when it is kept secret or is seen as wrong
Everyone in the office suspected the regional manager was carrying on with the new assistant.
pattern: carry on with + person
The gossip column claimed the actor had been carrying on with his co-star for over a year.
Emmanuel's wife discovered he had been carrying on with the woman who ran the club's Saturday morning drills.
The neighbours whispered that Mrs Chen was carrying on with the man who delivered the post.
Thandiwe warned her friend that carrying on with a married colleague would end badly.
- carry on with
- been carrying on with
- have an affair
the standard phrase; more direct and less euphemistic
- cheat on
focuses on the betrayal of a partner rather than the secret relationship itself
- fool around
more casual; can also mean just playful behaviour, so context is needed
Grammar Patterns
carry on + with + someone
Usage Note
Always followed by 'with' + the person. Implies secrecy and social disapproval. The continuous form ('was carrying on', 'had been carrying on') is very common because the relationship is ongoing.
carry-on — verb
- carry-onpresent simple I / you / we / they
- carry-ons3rd person singular
- carry-oning-ing form
- carry-onedpast simple
1. to continue doing something even when problems or difficulties make it hard to k
to continue doing something even when problems or difficulties make it hard to keep going
Sven carried on with the race even after he twisted his ankle at mile ten.
carry on with + noun despite difficulty
The rescue team carried on searching through the night after the earthquake.
Imran's grandfather carried on running the family shop well into his eighties.
Keiko decided to carry on with her studies in spite of having to work two jobs.
Yuto carried on writing his final exam even though a splitting headache made the words blur.
carry on + -ing despite a physical obstacle
- carry on regardless
- carry on with
- carry on despite
- persevere
more formal; emphasises steady, patient effort over a long period
- soldier on
informal British English; implies a brave, stoic attitude
- keep at
informal; emphasises not giving up on a specific task
Grammar Patterns
carry on + (with) + noun
carry on + -ing
Usage Note
This sense emphasises effort in the face of difficulty. Distinguish from phrasal verb sense 3 (continue activity): that sense is neutral — you can carry on watching a film without any difficulty. This sense is used when there is a known obstacle.
2. to behave in a silly, wild, or childish way that embarrasses or annoys the peopl
to behave in a silly, wild, or childish way that embarrasses or annoys the people around you
The children were carrying on in the back seat until their father threatened to stop the car.
intransitive: subject + carry on (misbehave)
Oluwaseun and his mates carried on so loudly at the cinema that they were asked to leave.
Amir's little sister carried on at the wedding, dancing on the tables and singing off-key.
Grandpa Okonkwo warned the twins that if they did not stop carrying on, they would be sent straight to bed.
Hana cringed as her drunk uncle carried on at the karaoke machine.
- stop carrying on
- carry on like that
- act up
informal; most often used for children misbehaving
- misbehave
more formal; used by parents and teachers
- mess around
informal; less intense, can mean playful rather than badly behaved
Grammar Patterns
carry on
Usage Note
Intransitive. The subject is almost always a person or group of people — not a machine or an animal. Distinguish from phrasal verb sense 2 (complain loudly): this sense is about wild or foolish behaviour, not specifically about complaining.
Common Mistakes
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
These words all describe continuing despite difficulty, but they differ in tone and setting. Persevere is the most formal and emphasises steady, patient effort over a long period — you persevere through a tough degree programme or a slow recovery. Persist can carry a slightly negative flavour when someone will not stop an unwanted action ('he persisted in asking'), though it is neutral when describing conditions that last. Keep going is the most casual and everyday choice — the phrase a friend calls out during a difficult workout. Soldier on is informal British English, suggesting a brave, stoic attitude as if facing a battle. Press on suggests determined forward movement against resistance, often used for journeys or projects. Carry on sits between keep going and soldier on — it is everyday language but carries a quiet note of determination when a difficulty is clearly present ('she carried on with the speech after the microphone died').
Common collocations
Etymology
Formed from carry (from Anglo-Norman carier, 'to transport') and the continuative particle on. The phrasal verb emerged in the 1500s with the literal sense 'to transport onward'. By the 1600s the figurative meaning 'to continue' had developed. The sense 'to behave in a wild or foolish way' appeared in the 1800s, and the noun carry-on meaning 'a fuss or commotion' followed in British English by the early 1900s. The adjective and noun uses related to air travel (carry-on bag, carry-on luggage) date from the mid-20th century with the rise of commercial aviation.
First known use
1917
1917, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Adjective