Definition

1. Verb (Intransitive):

   • To continue an activity or process; to proceed.
   • To behave in an excited, foolish, or improper way, often emotionally.

2. Verb (Transitive):

   • To continue or maintain something; to keep something in existence or operation.
   • To manage or conduct a business or activity.

Usage

• As an intransitive verb, "carry on" often stands alone or is followed by a prepositional phrase (e.g., ).
• As a transitive verb, it is followed by a direct object (e.g., ).
• It can imply persistence, especially in the face of difficulty.

Examples

• Intransitive Verb (Continue):
  • Please carry on with your work.
  • Despite the noise, the speaker carried on.
• Intransitive Verb (Misbehave):
  • The children started to carry on when they were told it was bedtime.
  • There's no need to carry on like that; just calm down.
• Transitive Verb (Continue/Maintain):
  • It is important to carry on the family traditions.
  • She carried on a long correspondence with her friend.
• Transitive Verb (Manage):
  • He carries on a successful business from his home.

Advanced Usage

• "to carry on as if/though...": To behave in a way that pretends a particular situation is true.
  • He carried on as if nothing had happened.
• "to carry on a conversation/dialogue": To engage in and continue a discussion.
  • They managed to carry on a conversation despite the language barrier.

Variants and Related Words

• Carry-on (Noun): A small bag or suitcase taken onto an airplane.
  • Please stow your carry-on in the overhead bin.
• Carrying-on (Noun, informal): Noisy or excited behavior, often improper.
  • There was a lot of carrying-on at the party last night.

Synonyms

• Continue, proceed, go on, persist (for the "continue" meaning).
• Misbehave, act up, make a scene (for the "misbehave" meaning).
• Maintain, sustain, keep up (for the transitive "continue" meaning).
• Conduct, manage, run, operate (for the "manage" meaning).

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Carry on with: To continue doing something.
  • Carry on with what you were doing.
• Carry over: To extend or transfer from one situation or time to another.
  • Unused vacation days will carry over to next year.

Related Idioms

• Carry on regardless: To continue doing something without letting problems or difficulties stop you.
  • The show must go on, so we'll carry on regardless of the technical issues.

Verb

1. misbehave badly; act in a silly or improper way
   • The children acted up when they were not bored
2. continue talking
   • I know it's hard, he continued, but there is no choice
   • carry on--pretend we are not in the room
3. keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last
   • preserve the peace in the family
   • continue the family tradition
   • Carry on the old traditions
4. direct the course of; manage or control
   • You cannot conduct business like this