English▸ verb [with object]
1 have or retain possession of:
return one copy to me, keeping the other for your files
my father would keep the best for himself
she had trouble keeping her balance.
▪ put or store in a regular place:
his personal work was kept securely in an upstairs studio.
2 [with object and complement] cause to continue in a specified condition, position, course, etc.:
the guidance system keeps the machine on course
he kept his eyes on the road
keep your hands off me
she might be kept alive artificially by machinery.
▪ [no object, with complement] continue in a specified condition, position, course, etc.:
I kept quiet while Emily talked on
keep left along the wall.
▪ [no object, with present participle] continue doing or do repeatedly or habitually:
he keeps going on about the murder.
▪ [no object] (of a perishable commodity) remain in good condition:
fresh ginger does not keep well.
▪ retain one's place in or on (a seat or saddle, the ground, etc.) against opposition or difficulty:
are you able to keep your saddle?
▪ make (someone) do something for a period of time:
I have kept her waiting too long.
▪ delay or detain; cause to be late:
I won't keep you, I know you've got a busy evening.
▪ archaic continue to follow (a way, path, or course):
the friars and soldiers removed, keeping their course toward Jericho.
3 provide for the sustenance of (someone):
he had to keep his large family in the manner he had chosen.
▪ own and look after (an animal) for pleasure or profit:
they raised pigs and kept a pony or two.
▪ own and manage (a shop or business).
▪ guard; protect:
the boy keeps the sheep
“God keep you,” he muttered.
▪ support (someone, especially a woman) financially in return for sexual favors:
[as adjective] a kept woman.
4 honor or fulfill (a commitment or undertaking):
I'll keep my promise, naturally.
▪ observe (a religious occasion) in the prescribed manner:
today's consumers do not keep the Sabbath.
▪ pay due regard to (a law or custom):
if you kept small rules, you could break the big ones.
5 make written entries in (a diary) on a regular basis:
the master kept a weekly journal.
▪ write down as (a record):
keep a note of the whereabouts of each item.
▸ noun
– PHRASES
you can't keep a good man down (also you can't keep a good woman down) informal
a competent person will always recover well from setbacks or problems.for keeps informal
permanently; indefinitely:
manage not to fall:
make an effort to live normally when in a difficult situation:
be genuine, unaffected, or honest:
avoid contact with others:
refuse to disclose or share something:
you can't keep a good man down (also you can't keep a good woman down) informal
a competent person will always recover well from setbacks or problems.for keeps informal
permanently; indefinitely:
they'll have to give us the trophy for keeps if we win it again.
keep one's feet manage not to fall:
on the planked railroad crossing she stumbled, but kept her feet.
keep going make an effort to live normally when in a difficult situation:
she had to keep going for the sake of her boys.
keep it real informal, mainly US be genuine, unaffected, or honest:
whatever you do, keep it real
he kept it real and I found him charming.
keep to oneself avoid contact with others:
they kept to themselves and were a source of mystery and speculation.
keep something to oneself refuse to disclose or share something:
he was determined to keep the information to himself.
– PHRASAL VERBS
keep after (keep someone after) US
make a student stay at school after normal hours as a punishment:
persist with something:
stay away:
remain on good terms with someone:
speak about something repeatedly:
annoy someone by making frequent requests:
remain outside:
avoid leaving a path, road, or place:
cause someone to remain in a state of oppression or subjection:
keep after (keep someone after) US
make a student stay at school after normal hours as a punishment:
she threatened to keep the whole class after if somebody did not take the blame.
keep at (keep at something) persist with something:
it was the best part of a day's work but I kept at it.
▪ (keep someone at something)
force someone to persist with something:
keep away force someone to persist with something:
homework may be entirely the student's work but many a parent has to work hard to keep them at it.
stay away:
keep away from the edge of the cliff.
▪ (keep someone away, keep away someone)
make someone stay away.
keep back make someone stay away.
1
remain at a distance:
keep down remain at a distance:
he had kept back from the river when he could.
▪ (keep someone or something back, keep back someone or something)
cause someone or something to remain at a distance:
cause someone or something to remain at a distance:
he could have known that words would be unable to keep her back.
2 (keep something down, keep down something)
cause something to remain at a low level:
cause something to remain at a low level:
the population of aphids is normally kept down by other animals.
3 (keep something down, keep down something)
retain food or drink in one's stomach without vomiting:
keep from retain food or drink in one's stomach without vomiting:
all I could keep down was water.
1 (keep something from someone)
cause something to remain a secret from someone:
cause something to remain a secret from someone:
now you know what your mother tried to keep from you.
2 (keep something from something)
cause something to stay out of something:
keep in cause something to stay out of something:
she could not keep the dismay from her voice.
1 (keep someone in, keep in someone) British
confine someone indoors or in a particular place:
keep in with (keep in with someone) British confine someone indoors or in a particular place:
he should be kept in overnight for observation.
remain on good terms with someone:
he was simply trying to keep in with his friends.
keep off keep on keep on about (keep on about something) British speak about something repeatedly:
they kept on about negotiating an end to the war.
keep on at (keep on at someone) British annoy someone by making frequent requests:
he'd kept on at her, wanting her to go out with him.
keep out remain outside:
if a sign says a track is closed, please keep out.
▪ (keep someone or something out, keep out someone or something)
cause someone or something to remain outside:
keep to (keep to something) cause someone or something to remain outside:
cover the dish with cheesecloth to keep out flies.
avoid leaving a path, road, or place:
I didn't have his faith in the traffic, so I kept to the edge of the curb.
▪ adhere to a schedule:
the administration has kept to a tight timetable.
▪ observe a promise:
she was anxious to keep to her resolve to lay before him all the facts.
▪ confine or restrict oneself to something:
keep under (keep someone under) nothing is more irritating than people who do not keep to the point.
cause someone to remain in a state of oppression or subjection:
the local people are kept under by the army.
keep up 1 (also keep up with someone or something)
move or progress at the same rate as someone or something else:
move or progress at the same rate as someone or something else:
often they had to pause to allow him to keep up.
2 (keep something up, keep up something)
continue a course of action:
continue a course of action:
keep up the good work.
▪ maintain something in an efficient or proper state:
the new owners could not afford to keep up the grounds.
▪ make something remain at a high level:
he was whistling to keep up his spirits.
3 (keep someone up, keep up someone)
prevent someone from going to bed or to sleep:
prevent someone from going to bed or to sleep:
the drugs kept her up all night hallucinating.
– ORIGIN late Old English cēpan ‘seize, take in’, also ‘care for, attend to’, of unknown origin.