{v.} 1. To work at; be busy with; manage. * /Bill and his father carried on a hardware business./ * /Mr. Jones and Mr. Smith carried on a long correspondence with each other./ 2. To keep doing as before; continue. * /After his father died, Bill carried on with the business./ * /The colonel told the soldiers to carry on while he was gone./ * /Though tired and hungry, the Scouts carried on until they reached camp./ Compare: BEAR UP(2), GO ON. 3a. {informal} To behave in a noisy, foolish, and troublesome manner. * /The boys carried on in the swimming pool until the lifeguard ordered them out./ 3b. {informal} To make too great a show of feeling, such as anger, grief, and pain. * /John carried on for ten minutes after he hit his thumb with the hammer./ Compare: TAKE ON(4). 4. {informal} To act in an immoral or scandalous way; act disgracefully. * /The townspeople said that he was carrying on with a neighbor girl./
{v.} 1. To cause death of; kill. * /Years ago smallpox carried off hundreds of Indians of the Sioux tribe./ Compare: WIPE OUT. 2. To succeed in winning. * /Bob carried off honors in science./ * /Jim carried off two gold medals in the track meet./ 3. To succeed somewhat unexpectedly in. * /The spy planned to deceive the enemy soldiers and carried it off very well./ * /In the class play, Lloyd carried off his part surprisingly well./