kept

American  

[kept] / kɛpt /

verb

1. simple past tense and past participle of keep.

---

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

---

Other Word Forms

• unkept adjective
• well-kept adjective

Etymology

Origin of kept

First recorded in 1670–80 kept for def. 2

Example Sentences

My cousin Qiaolian once told me about the day she first met me: I was a malnourished, dusty and snotty infant, not even a full year old, wrapped in a dirty blanket and kept hidden.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Long Beach’s R&B savant Giveon kept his Coachella stage to a monochrome motif during his sundown set.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

He grew potatoes, kept bees, made maple syrup and taught school three months each year.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

One Ranger cracked a rib after his snowmobile flipped over, but "he kept on going", Lt-Col Hanes said.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

As head of the Dutch Reformed Church’s program to reach Jews, Willem kept in touch with these things.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom