brought upon us

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "brought upon us" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to say that something has happened to a group or been caused by a group or their actions. For example: "The financial troubles we are now facing were brought upon us by our own carelessness."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

22 human-written examples

But you might need to know this: one such report published by the Institute of Development Studies in the UK predicts a whopping 20% to 60% rise in food prices by 2050, depending on the type of food, largely due to declining yields brought upon us by climate change.

The Guardian - Opinion

The next stage is depression, a stage we are slowly getting out of as more and more voices are telling us to use the democratic process to triumph against what democracy has brought upon us.

Huffington Post

They are brought upon us by vice, and their consequences are misery.

Encyclopedia Britannica

All of this was brought upon us in a single day.

The New York Times

"All of this was brought upon us in a single day, and night fell on a different world".

The New York Times

It'll take a long time to get out from under the disaster that idiot brought upon us.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

38 human-written examples

"The present route will bring upon us isolation in the world," he said.

The New York Times

"To do that would take one phone call to the Serious Fraud Squad or the Crown Prosecution Service, and they could bring upon us the might of the U.K. legal system," he said.

The New York Times

Anohni seems desperate to shock us into action by revelling in the agony climate change is set to bring upon us: "And all those rhinos and and all those big mammals / I want to see them laying crying in the fields".

The Guardian - Music

For some, the end of 2012 bring upon us, well..the end.

TechCrunch

It came to prevent us from doing things and being ways that threatened to bring upon us more frightening and dangerous external criticism...criticism that might have led to the withdrawal of the love and support that were so essential for our survival.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "brought upon us" when you want to emphasize that a situation is a direct result of actions or circumstances, often with negative consequences.

Common error

Avoid using "brought upon us" if the cause is ambiguous or not directly linked to specific actions or circumstances. Ensure there is a clear connection between the cause and the effect.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "brought upon us" functions as a passive verb phrase, typically used to indicate that a negative or impactful event or situation has been caused or experienced by a group. This is evident from the Ludwig examples, where actions or consequences are described as resulting from specific causes.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

64%

Science

21%

Encyclopedias

7%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "brought upon us" is a grammatically correct verb phrase used to indicate that something has been caused or experienced by a group, often with negative connotations. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is correct and usable in written English. While not very common, it appears in reputable sources like The Guardian and The New York Times, primarily in News & Media contexts. When using this phrase, it's important to ensure that there's a clear cause-and-effect relationship and that the context aligns with the gravity of the situation. Related phrases like "inflicted upon us" or "imposed on us" can serve as alternatives, depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

inflicted upon us

This alternative suggests a more forceful or negative imposition.

imposed on us

Emphasizes the authoritative or forceful nature of the action.

caused to happen to us

This phrase is a more literal and less idiomatic way of expressing the same idea.

brought down upon us

This implies a forceful or overwhelming event that has impacted a group.

befallen us

This alternative suggests something negative or unfortunate that has occurred.

visited upon us

Similar to "inflicted", this implies a deliberate or consequential action.

laid upon us

Suggests a burden or responsibility placed on a group.

come upon us

A more general term indicating something has happened or arrived.

happened to us

A simple and direct way to state that something has occurred.

occurred to us

Suggests something coming to mind or being realized, rather than an external event.

FAQs

How can I use "brought upon us" in a sentence?

Use "brought upon us" to indicate that something has happened to a group of people as a result of a specific action or event. For example, "The economic hardship was "inflicted upon us" by the government's policies".

What's a less formal alternative to "brought upon us"?

While "brought upon us" isn't overly formal, you can use phrases like "happened to us" or "occurred to us" in more casual contexts. However, consider that they may lose some of the original's emphasis on causation.

Is it correct to say "brought upon myself" instead of "brought upon us"?

Yes, but the subject changes the meaning. "Brought upon myself" means you are responsible for something that happened to you, while "brought upon us" means a group is affected by something, often caused by external factors or their collective actions.

What is the difference between "brought upon us" and "imposed on us"?

"Brought upon us" indicates a cause-and-effect relationship, while "imposed on us" suggests something has been enforced or forced upon a group, often by an authority.