Carry
what it means
Both a verb and a role — in some games, "carry" is a formal position expected to become the team's main damage dealer late in the match.
To win a game largely single-handedly while your team contributes little.
the origin story
Emerged in Defense of the Ancients and similar team games in the 2000s, where it named both an action and a role.
The dual meaning is unusual: a carry can carry, and being carried is a distinct experience worth naming. "Hard carry" is the emphatic form, and "getting carried" is a standard self-deprecating admission.
in the wild
He had more kills than the rest of us combined.
Full hard carry.
Great game!
I did nothing. I was carried.
how to use it
- Describing dominant individual performance
- MOBA and team-game contexts
- Self-deprecating about a teammate's efforts
- Professionally without context
- As a way to belittle teammates
- In games where the role has a specific different name
related terms
receipts
Community feedback
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