keep

[ keep ]

/ kip /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: keep / keeping / kept 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.

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.

noun

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.

Verb Phrases

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR keep

6 preserve.

8 detain, confine.

41 donjon, dungeon, stronghold.

See synonyms for keep on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR keep

8 release.

See antonyms for keep on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

FIRE UP YOUR VOCAB FOR A "RED" SYNONYMS QUIZ

No fire engine reds here, only a fierce collection of vibrant words for the color red to test yourself on.

Question 1 of 7

What does "amaranth" mean?

a legendary stone of impenetrable hardness

an imaginary, undying flower

a mythical creature

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Idioms about keep

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).

Origin of keep

First recorded 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”

synonym study for keep

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.

OTHER WORDS FROM keep

keep·a·ble, adjectivekeep·a·bil·i·ty, noun

Words nearby keep

Keene, keener, Keene's cement, keening, keenly, keep, keep abreast of, keep a civil tongue in one's head, keep after, keep a low profile, keep an eye on

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

VOCAB BUILDER

What is a basic definition of keep?

Keep means to hold on to something and not let it leave your possession. Keep can also mean to store something in a certain place. And keep can mean to continue an action or to remain in a certain state. Keep has many other senses as a verb and a few as a noun and is used in a large number of idioms.

If you keep something, it means that you are making sure it stays yours and doesn’t leave your possession. For example, if you don’t give money to someone, then you are keeping it. The past tense of keep is kept.

Real-life examples: Most people prefer to keep money rather than give it away or spend it. If a childhood toy means a lot to you, you probably want to keep it and not throw it away. If nobody claims a lost item, then the store or police will usually let the finder keep it.
Used in a sentence: I’m going to keep this old hat I found rather than throw it away.

Keep can also mean to store something in a certain area.

Real-life examples: Almost everyone keeps perishable food in a refrigerator. You might keep your clothes on the floor, although your mom wants them in a dresser. People keep money in a safe or bank account. The police keep prisoners in jail.
Used in a sentence: Aylia keeps her priceless jewelry in a lockbox.

Keep is also used to mean to continue doing something. This sense of keep usually implies that the action will never stop until something else happens. For example, a leaky sink will keep, that is, continue, dripping until someone fixes it.

Real-life examples: A business will keep making money as long as it can. Most pets will keep staring at you until you either finish eating or give them some food. The moon will keep rotating around Earth unless something stops it.
Used in a sentence: Sasha is persistent and will keep hitting that piñata until candy comes out.

In a similar sense, keep can also mean to remain in a certain state or condition.

Real-life examples: People store ice cream in a freezer so it keeps cold. Most people find it hard to keep calm during a crisis. People wear jackets or use umbrellas to keep dry during a rainstorm.
Used in a sentence: The men gathered around the fire to keep warm.

Where does keep come from?

The first records of keep come from before the year 1000. It ultimately comes from the Old English verb cēpan, meaning “to observe.”

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to keep?

keepable (adjective)
keepability (noun)

What are some synonyms for keep?

What are some words that share a root or word element with keep?

What are some words that often get used in discussing keep?

How is keep used in real life?

Keep is an extremely common word that is often used to mean to hold on to something or to continue to do something.

Idk if I should keep my EDC ticket till next year or transfer it for October😫

— Brian_Bananas_🍌🍌 (@_briankix) April 22, 2021

Trying to take a nap but my dogs keep bothering me. I keep telling them to get a life but they won't listen!

— Christel Khalil (@ChristelAdnana) September 18, 2009

Your friendly meteorologist reminding you tonight that there is no such thing as earthquake weather. Keep calm and carry on.

— Drew Tuma (@DrewTumaABC7) August 17, 2020

Try using keep!

Is keep used correctly in the following sentence?

I keep a spare tire in the trunk of my car in case I ever need one.

How to use keep in a sentence

Domestically, the prime minister maintains the dubious line that he is the only man who can keep the still-fragile peace.
Cambodia’s Smoke-and-Mirrors Democracy|David Shaftel|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“Someone is determined to keep Bill Cosby off TV,” she continued.
Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers|Stereo Williams|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I think if you keep trying to do things the same way it becomes diminishing returns.
Belle & Sebastian Aren’t So Shy Anymore|James Joiner|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Ney said McDonnell needs to “keep a stiff lip” and stay in close contact with family members.
Abramoff’s Advice for Virginia’s New Jailhouse Guv|Tim Mak, Jackie Kucinich|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

I keep meeting more and more people where that seems to be the case.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
She was growing accustomed to like shocks, but she could not keep the mounting color back from her cheeks.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
And it was no light task, then, for six hundred men to keep the peace on a thousand miles of frontier.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
He will keep the sayings of renowned men, and will enter withal into the subtilties of parables.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
Keep closely covered with a bell glass and, in a few weeks, more or less, the baby Ferns will start to put in an appearance.
How to Know the Ferns|S. Leonard Bastin
My thought was to keep pushing in troops from "W" Beach until the enemy had fallen back to save themselves from being cut off.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton

British Dictionary definitions for keep

keep

/ (kiːp) /

verb keeps, keeping or kept (kɛpt)

(tr) to have or retain possession of

(tr) to have temporary possession or charge ofkeep my watch for me during the game

(tr) to store in a customary placeI keep my books in the desk

to remain or cause to remain in a specified state or conditionkeep the dog quiet; keep ready

to continue or cause to continuekeep the beat; keep in step

(tr) to have or take charge or care ofkeep the shop for me till I return

(tr) to look after or maintain for use, pleasure, etcto keep chickens; keep two cars

(tr) to provide for the upkeep or livelihood of

(tr) to support financially, esp in return for sexual favourshe keeps a mistress in the country

to confine or detain or be confined or detained

to withhold or reserve or admit of withholding or reservingyour news will keep till later

(tr) to refrain from divulging or violatingto keep a secret; keep one's word

to preserve or admit of preservation

(tr sometimes foll by up) to observe with due rites or ceremoniesto keep Christmas

(tr) to maintain by writing regular records into 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 existenceto keep court in the palace

(tr) mainly British to have habitually in stockthis 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

noun

living or supporthe 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

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with keep

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

keep

OTHER WORDS FOR keep

OPPOSITES FOR keep

Idioms about keep

Origin of keep

synonym study for keep

OTHER WORDS FROM keep

Words nearby keep

VOCAB BUILDER

What is a basic definition of keep?

Where does keep come from?

Did you know … ?

How is keep used in real life?

Try using keep!

Words related to keep

How to use keep in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for keep

Word Origin for keep

Other Idioms and Phrases with keep