phrasal verb · neutral
bring on
UK/brɪŋ ɒn/US/brɪŋ ɑn/BRING·ON
speakingtask2
to cause something to happen, especially something unpleasant (e.g. illness, problems)
Examples
“The stress of the job brought on his depression.”
“Poor hygiene can bring on infections.”
“Lack of sleep may bring on headaches.”
Band 8 sentence
“The sudden policy changes are likely to bring on short-term disruption, even if they improve efficiency in the long run.”
Collocations
- bring on an illness
- bring on problems
- bring on stress
Word family
bring on base verbbrings on verb, 3rd singularbrought on past / past participlebringing on gerund / participle
Common mistakes
This noise will bring me stress.→This noise will bring on/bring about stress. / This noise will cause me stress.
The cold weather brought off his sickness.→The cold weather brought on his sickness.
Say it for a higher band
5make→6cause→7+bring on
Synonyms
cause
lead to
Easily confused
cause
“Smoking can cause lung cancer.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In bring …
Learn it with its set