kept

[kept]

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

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of kept¹

First recorded in 1670–80 kept for def. 2

Example Sentences

Yet steady FM radio play kept the songs in rotation through the early ’70s, by which time rock was full of proudly ambitious outfits such as Genesis and Electric Light Orchestra.

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They kept insisting the prime minister was prolonging the war for political reasons.

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But by continuing to fight, the prime minister kept Israel’s options open to achieve its war aims and smash the Iranian proxy axis and nuclear program when the opportunities came around.

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Attesting to the insanity of Italian voters, they kept voting the same way and expecting a different result.

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The cases against Comey and James have roiled a Justice Department that has traditionally kept its distance from the White House.

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