keep on
Britishverb
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to continue or persist in (doing something)
keep on running
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(tr) to continue to wear
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(tr) to continue to employ
the firm kept on only ten men
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to persist in talking (about)
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to nag (a person)
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Continue, persist, as in They kept on singing all night . [Late 1500s]
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Maintain an existing situation, as in After Mr. Brown died, the housekeeper wondered if she would be kept on . [Mid-1600s]
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Cause to stay on or remain attached, as in Keep your coat on; it's cold in here . [Late 1800s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Whether on foot, on a bike or in a car, you should take Ocean Avenue down to Scenic Road, turn left and keep on rolling until you’re overlooking Carmel River Scenic Beach.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
After their poor run England just need to keep on winning matches and, just as importantly, this group needs to get used to bowling together as an attack.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
Wynton Marsalis learned early that jazz means keep on keeping on—even when the audience is thin.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
"The band of which he was part for six decades is going to keep on keeping on as he had wished."
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
I squinched my eyes tight but let him keep on.
From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
