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bring on

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bring someone on

 

1. Lit. to bring someone out onto the stage. Now, for the next act, I'm going to bring a chorus on, and I'm sure you'll love them. Bring on the clowns!

2. Fig. to arouse someone romantically or sexually. Ted sought to bring Sally on, but she was uninterested. He tried to bring on one of the guests.

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bring something on

 

1. to cause something to happen; to cause a situation to occur. What brought this event on? What brought on this catastrophe?

2. to cause a case or an attack of a disease. What brought on your coughing fit? Something in the air brought it on.

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bring something on someone

to cause something to go wrong for someone. You brought it on yourself. Don't complain. Max brought this problem on all of us.

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bring on something

also bring something on

to cause something to happen People who are sick often wonder what they did to bring this on. The attacks brought on fears that the political process might be overtaken by violence.

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bring on

1. Cause to happen, produce, as in His cold brought on an asthma attack. This usage was first recorded in John Milton's Samson Agonistes (1671): "These evils . . . I myself have brought them on." Also see bring about.

2. Cause to appear or bring into action, as in Bring on the jugglers. [Mid-1800s]

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bring on

v.

To cause something to arise: Eating ice cream too fast can bring on a headache. My child threw a terrible tantrum, but I don't know what brought it on.

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