Synonyms Examples Word Origin
See more synonyms for keep on Thesaurus.com verb (used with object), kept, keep·ing. to hold or retain in one's possession; hold as one's own: If you like it, keep it. Keep the change. to hold or have the use of for a period of time: You can keep it for the summer. to hold in a given place; store: You can keep your things in here. to maintain (some action), especially in accordance with specific requirements, a promise, etc.: to keep watch; to keep step. to cause to continue in a given position, state, course, or action: to keep a light burning; to keep a child happy. to maintain in condition or order, as by care and labor: He keeps his car in good condition. to maintain in usable or edible condition; preserve: If you want to keep meat for a long time, freeze it. to hold in custody or under guard, as a prisoner: They kept him in jail. to cause to stay in a particular place; prevent or restrain from departure: The work kept her at the office. to have regularly in stock and for sale: to keep a large supply of machine parts. to maintain in one's service or for one's use or enjoyment: to keep a car and chauffeur. to associate with: She keeps bad company. to have the care, charge, or custody of: She keeps my dog when I travel. to refrain from disclosing; withhold from the knowledge of others: to keep a secret. to withhold from use; reserve; save: I'll keep this toy until you learn to behave. Keep the good wine for company. to hold back or restrain: They kept the child from talking. Nothing can keep him from doing it. to maintain control of; regulate: to keep the peace; to keep your temper. to maintain by writing: to keep a diary. to record (business transactions, daily occurrences, etc.) regularly: to keep records; to keep a list of visitors. to observe; pay obedient regard to (a law, rule, promise, etc.). to conform to; follow; fulfill: to keep one's word. to observe (a season, festival, etc.) with formalities or rites: to keep Christmas. to maintain or carry on, as an establishment, business, etc.; manage. to guard; protect: He kept her from harm. to maintain or support: It costs more each year to keep a house. to support or contribute to the support of in return for sexual or other favors. to take care of; tend: to keep a vegetable garden. to raise (livestock): These farmers keep goats and cattle. to remain in (a place, spot, etc.): Please keep your seats. to maintain one's position in or on: He kept the job. to continue to follow (a path, track, course, etc.). to maintain in active existence, as an assembly, court, or fair. Show More
verb (used without object), kept, keep·ing. to continue in an action, course, position, state, etc.: to keep in sight; to keep going. to remain, or continue to be, as specified: to keep cool. to remain or stay in a particular place: to keep indoors. to continue unimpaired or without spoiling: The food will keep on ice. to admit of being reserved for a future occasion: I have more to tell you, but it will keep. to keep oneself or itself as specified (followed by away, back, off, out, etc.): Keep off the grass. to restrain oneself; refrain (usually followed by from ): Try to keep from smiling. Show More
board and lodging; subsistence; support: to work for one's keep. the innermost and strongest structure or central tower of a medieval castle. keeps, (used with a singular verb ) a game of marbles in which the players keep the marbles they have won. Show More
keep at , to persist in; be steadfast: You'll never master your French unless you keep at it. keep back , to hold in check; restrain: The dikes kept back the floodwaters. to stay away from: The crowds would not keep back from the barrier. to refuse to reveal: The prisoner was keeping back vital information. keep down , to hold under control or at a reduced or acceptable level: to keep your voice down. to prevent from going up or increasing: to keep prices down. keep in with , to stay in someone's favor; be on good terms with: They are social climbers who make certain to keep in with all the right people. keep on , to continue; persist: If you keep on singing they'll ask you to leave. keep to , to adhere to; conform to: She keeps to the rules. to confine oneself to: to keep to one's bed. keep up , to maintain an equal rate of speed, activity, or progress with another or others. to persevere; continue. to maintain the good condition of; keep in repair. Also keep up on /with. to stay informed: to keep up on current events. to match one's friends, neighbors, business associates, etc., in success, affluence, etc. Show More
for keeps , Informal under the stipulation that one keeps one's winnings. with serious intent or purpose. finally; permanently: They decided to settle the argument for keeps. keep books , to maintain financial records. keep tab /tabs on . tab1 (def 15) . keep time . time(def 50) . keep to oneself , to remain aloof from the society of others. to hold (something) as secret or confidential: I'll tell you only if you promise to keep it to yourself. keep track of . track(def 38) .Show More
Origin of keep before 1000; Middle English kepen, Old English cēpan to observe, heed, watch, await, take; perhaps akin to Old English gecōp proper, fitting, capian to look, Old Norse kōpa to stare
Related forms keep·a·ble , adjective keep·a·bil·i·ty , noun Synonyms for keep See more synonyms for 1 . Keep, reserve, retain, withhold refer to having and holding in possession. Keep (a common word) and retain (a more formal one) agree in meaning to continue to have or hold, as opposed to losing, parting with, or giving up: to keep a book for a week. To reserve is to keep for some future use, occasion, or recipient, or to hold back for a time: to reserve judgment. To withhold is generally to hold back altogether: to withhold help. 6 . preserve. 8 . detain, confine. 41 . donjon, dungeon, stronghold.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Related Words for keep preserve ,
control ,
enjoy ,
manage ,
carry ,
place ,
have ,
conduct ,
put ,
retain ,
save ,
store ,
protect ,
run ,
continue ,
support ,
maintain ,
sustain ,
operate ,
stop Examples from the Web for keep Contemporary Examples of keep Domestically, the prime minister maintains the dubious line that he is the only man who can keep the still-fragile peace.
“Someone is determined to keep Bill Cosby off TV,” she continued.
I think if you keep trying to do things the same way it becomes diminishing returns.
Ney said McDonnell needs to “keep a stiff lip” and stay in close contact with family members.
I keep meeting more and more people where that seems to be the case.
Historical Examples of keep When he finished, he said, "Now tell me where you keep your vegetables, Uncle Paul?"
Being under his care, it was his duty to keep it in good condition.
Our hero, though strong-armed, had hard work to keep up with him.
I could keep only the effect of its expression and the few tones of your voice I heard.
He had entered into the path of dishonesty, and he was forced to keep on in it.
British Dictionary definitions for keep verb keeps , keeping or kept (kɛpt ) (tr) to have or retain possession of (tr) to have temporary possession or charge of keep my watch for me during the game (tr) to store in a customary place I keep my books in the desk to remain or cause to remain in a specified state or condition keep the dog quiet ; keep ready to continue or cause to continue keep the beat ; keep in step (tr) to have or take charge or care of keep the shop for me till I return (tr) to look after or maintain for use, pleasure, etc to keep chickens ; keep two cars (tr) to provide for the upkeep or livelihood of (tr) to support financially, esp in return for sexual favours he keeps a mistress in the country to confine or detain or be confined or detained to withhold or reserve or admit of withholding or reserving your news will keep till later (tr) to refrain from divulging or violating to keep a secret ; keep one's word to preserve or admit of preservation (tr sometimes foll by up ) to observe with due rites or ceremonies to keep Christmas (tr) to maintain by writing regular records in to keep a diary (when intr, foll by in, on, to, etc ) to stay in, on, or at (a place or position) please keep your seats ; keep to the path (tr) to associate with (esp in the phrase keep bad company ) (tr) to maintain in existence to keep court in the palace (tr) mainly British to have habitually in stock this shop keeps all kinds of wool how are you keeping? how are you? keep tabs on informal to keep a watchful eye on keep track of See track (def. 15) keep time See time (def. 42) keep wicket to play as wicketkeeper in the game of cricket you can keep it informal I have no interest in what you are offering Show More
living or support he must work for his keep archaic charge or care Also called: dungeon , donjon the main tower within the walls of a medieval castle or fortress informal completely; permanently for the winner or possessor to keep permanently Show More
See also
keep at ,
keep away ,
keep back ,
keep down ,
keep from ,
keep in ,
keep off ,
keep on ,
keep out ,
keep to ,
keep under ,
keep up Word Origin for keep Old English cēpan to observe; compare Old Saxon kapōn to look, Old Norse kōpa to stare
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for keep v. late Old English cepan "to seize, hold," also "to observe," from Proto-Germanic *kopijanan , but with no certain connection to other languages. It possibly is related to Old English capian "to look," from Proto-Germanic *kap- (cepan was used c.1000 to render Latin observare ), which would make the basic sense "to keep an eye on."
The word prob. belongs primarily to the vulgar and non-literary stratum of the language; but it comes up suddenly into literary use c.1000, and that in many senses, indicating considerable previous development. [OED] Sense of "preserve, maintain" is from mid-14c. Meaning "to maintain in proper order" is from 1550s; meaning "financially support and privately control" (usually in reference to mistresses) is from 1540s. Related: Kept ; keeping .
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n. mid-13c., "care or heed in watching," from keep (v.). Meaning "innermost stronghold of a tower" is from 1580s, perhaps a translation of Italian tenazza , with a notion of "that which keeps" (someone or something); the sense of "food required to keep a person or animal" is attested from 1801. For keeps "completely, for good" is American English colloquial, from 1861.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with keep In addition to the idioms beginning with keep
keep abreast of keep a civil tongue in one's head keep after keep a low profile keep an eye on keep an eye out for keep a sharp lookout keep a stiff upper lip keep a straight face keep at keep at arm's length keep a weather eye out keep back keep body and soul together keep company keep cool keep down keep from keep house keeping up with the Joneses keep in mind keep in the dark keep in touch keep in with keep it up keep late hours keep off keep on keep one's chin up keep one's cool keep one's distance keep oneself to oneself keep one's end up keep one's eye on the ball keep one's eyes open keep one's fingers crossed keep one's hand in keep one's hands off keep one's head keep one's mouth shut keep one's nose clean keep one's nose to the grindstone keep one's own counsel keep one's powder dry keep one's shirt on keep one's temper keep one's wits about one keep one's word keep pace keep posted keep quiet keep tabs on keep the ball rolling keep the lid on keep the peace keep the wolf from the door keep time keep to keep to oneself keep track keep under one's hat keep under wraps keep up keep watch keep your . . . also see:
earn one's keep finders keepers, losers weepers for keeps in keeping (keep someone) in the dark Show More
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
