kept

American  

[kept] / kɛpt /

verb

1. simple past tense and past participle of keep.

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adjective

1. having the expression of principles, ideas, etc., controlled, dominated, or determined by one whose money provides support.

   a kept press;

   a kept writer.

kept British  

/ kɛpt /

verb

1. the past tense and past participle of keep

2. pejorative a woman maintained by a man as his mistress

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Other Word Forms

• unkept
  adjective
• well-kept
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of kept

First recorded in 1670–80 kept for def. 2

Example Sentences

McCullum has kept his job following a review into the tour and will lead England into the first Test against his native New Zealand at Lord's on Thursday.

From BBC • May 29, 2026

With the longtime teacher’s approval, Cervantes and a friend kept a pair of dinosaurs; one was named Tom, and the other Jerry, inspired by the show Cervantes loved watching with his dad growing up.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

Or C Street kept his old room vacant for him.

From Salon • May 29, 2026

Loud trucks kept passing and honking their horns, leaving a smell of burning diesel fuel in their wake.

From Slate • May 29, 2026

I remembered that it was in the shed next to Tomi’s stable that Uncle Manfred kept all his tools, all the harnesses, chains, ropes, everything.

From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo