cast up: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2 (Low)Formal, Literary, or Archaic
Quick answer
What does “cast up” mean?
To bring something to attention, often critically or reproachfully.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To bring something to attention, often critically or reproachfully; to mention a past event (typically a mistake or fault) in order to blame someone.
Can also refer to the literal action of something being thrown upward or vomited.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Understood but very rarely used in modern American English. Slightly more attested in older British literary usage.
Connotations
In both varieties, it sounds old-fashioned or deliberately literary when used.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in contemporary corpora for both. The meaning is more likely conveyed by "bring up", "throw up", or "reproach with".
Grammar
How to Use “cast up” in a Sentence
[Subject] cast up [Past Event/Object] to [Person][Subject] cast [Past Event/Object] upVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “cast up” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- She is always casting up that minor disagreement we had years ago.
- He cast the old scandal up to his political rival during the debate.
American English
- I wish you wouldn't cast up my past failures every time we argue.
- The sermon cast up the congregation's sins for reflection.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Might appear in historical/literary analysis texts.
Everyday
Extremely rare; would sound odd or pretentious.
Technical
Not used.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cast up”
- Using it in casual conversation.
- Confusing it with "throw up" (vomit) in modern contexts.
- Incorrect word order: "He cast to me my mistake up." (Correct: "He cast my mistake up to me.")
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is considered archaic or very formal/literary. Modern equivalents like 'bring up' or 'throw in someone's face' are far more common.
Historically and very rarely, yes. However, this usage is now obsolete. The standard term is 'throw up'.
It is transitive and usually separable. The common pattern is: Subject + cast + (object) + up + (to + person). E.g., 'She cast the incident up to him.'
No, there is no standard noun form derived from this phrasal verb in contemporary English.
To bring something to attention, often critically or reproachfully.
Cast up is usually formal, literary, or archaic in register.
Cast up: in British English it is pronounced /ˌkɑːst ˈʌp/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌkæst ˈʌp/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “cast something up to someone”
- “cast up the past”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine an angry person CASTING (throwing) UP old letters of complaint to hit someone with them.
Conceptual Metaphor
PAST FAILURES ARE BURDENS/OBJECTS THAT CAN BE THROWN (AT SOMEONE).
Practice
Quiz
In which context would 'cast up' be most appropriately used?