What does carrying mean?
Carrying is the present participle and gerund of the verb "carry," describing the action of holding something up while moving it, or transporting it from one place to another. Its uses extend well beyond physical loads: a bridge carries traffic, a wire carries current, mosquitoes carry disease, and a speaker's voice may carry across a room. As a noun, it denotes the act itself, as in "the carrying of weapons." The word also appears in established financial phrases such as "carrying costs" and "carrying value," which refer respectively to the expenses of holding an asset and its recorded worth on a balance sheet. Neutral in tone and equally at home in everyday conversation and formal writing, carrying is a versatile word whose figurative reach makes it indispensable in precise description.
Present participle and progressive-tense form of "carry": to hold something up and move it, or to transport, bear, convey, or support it.
"He was carrying his daughter on his shoulders through the crowd."
Used chiefly to build progressive constructions; also appears in reduced clauses ("people carrying luggage must check in first").
A gerund denoting the act or practice of carrying or transporting something.
"The constant carrying of heavy backpacks can strain young shoulders."
Most often found in formal, legal, medical, or technical contexts, e.g. "the carrying of firearms," "carrying capacity."
Every word for "carry" in English — carry, carriage, cargo, career, even chariot — traces back to one Latin word for a wagon: carrus.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of carrying
Carrying derives from the verb "carry," which entered Middle English around the fourteenth century, likely from Anglo-Norman or Old Northern French "carrier," itself from Late Latin "carrare," formed on Latin "carrus," meaning a two-wheeled wagon. This same root gave English a whole family of words: carriage, cargo, career, cart, and chariot all trace back to that ancient wheel-borne vehicle. The spelling "carrying" reflects the standard doubling of the final consonant after a stressed short vowel before the -ing suffix.
Related word forms
How carrying is actually used
As a present participle, "carrying" is used to form progressive tenses ("she was carrying"); as a gerund it functions as a noun ("carrying heavy loads is tiring"). In finance, "carrying" appears in technical terms like "carrying value" and "carrying costs," where it refers to the recorded amount or ongoing expense associated with an asset. It is neutral in register and common in both everyday speech and formal writing.
Easily confused with carrying
"Currying" means preparing food with curry or gaining favor through flattery, whereas "carrying" means transporting or bearing something.