Keep — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈkēp/

Meaning & Definition of Keep

Keep (verb)

  1. to retain in one's possession or power
  2. to refrain from granting, giving, or allowing
  3. to have in control

Keep (noun)

  1. the means or provisions by which one is kept
  2. one that keeps or protects
  3. fortress, castle; specifically, the strongest and securest part of a medieval castle

Keep (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to mark with an appropriate practice, rite, or ceremony

    "keep the Sabbath by not working"

    similar: celebrate, commemorate, observe
    related: bless, consecrate, sanctify, solemnize, fete, honor, laud, praise, memorialize, remember
    opposite: break, transgress, violate
    near: blow off, disregard, forget, ignore, neglect, overlook

  2. to continue to have in one's possession or power

    "the money is yours to keep"

    "keep my secret and don't tell it to anyone"

    similar: hold, reserve, retain, withhold, hang on to, hold on to
    related: conserve, guard, preserve, protect, save, boast, enjoy, have, own, possess, command, control, detain, direct, manage, rule, bear, harbor, cherish, cling (to), hug, treasure
    opposite: give up, hand over, release, relinquish, surrender, yield
    near: abandon, cede, drop, contribute, donate, give, hand out, discard, dump, decline, reject, repudiate, spurn, lose

  3. to do what is required by the terms of

    "make sure you keep your promise to help out at the homeless shelter"

    similar: answer, complete, comply (with), fill, fulfill, meet, redeem, satisfy, abide by, make good
    related: conclude, consummate, finalize, finish, perfect, accomplish, achieve, bring about, bring off, carry out, effect, commit, compass, discharge, execute, follow through (with), make, perform
    opposite: breach, break, transgress, violate
    near: default (on), disregard, forget, ignore, neglect, overlook, overpass, pass over, slight

  4. to place somewhere for safekeeping or ready availability

    "I keep extra toothbrushes for unexpected overnight guests"

    similar: put up, reposit, store, stow
    related: cellar, garage, hangar, house, warehouse, file, pack, shelve

  5. to pay the living expenses of

    "agreed to keep both of their children in off-campus housing until they graduated and found jobs"

    similar: maintain, provide (for), support, foot the bill (for), take care of
    related: finance, fund, patronize, set up, sponsor, stake, underwrite

  6. to look after and make decisions about

    "enlisted a relative to keep the store while she was away"

    similar: administer, administrate, carry on, conduct, control, direct, govern, guide, handle, manage, operate, overlook, oversee, preside (over), regulate, run, steward, superintend, supervise, tend, watch over
    related: care (for), mind, watch, lead, pilot, steer, guard, protect, safeguard, micromanage, stage-manage, codirect, comanage

  7. to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression)

    "try to keep your composure no matter what happens"

    similar: bridle, check, constrain, contain, control, curb, govern, hold, inhibit, measure, pull in, regulate, rein (in), restrain, rule, tame
    related: bottle (up), choke (back), hold back, mince, muffle, pocket, repress, sink, smother, squelch, stifle, strangle, suppress, swallow, arrest, interrupt, stop, block, hamper, handcuff, hinder, impede, obstruct, gag, muzzle, silence
    opposite: lose
    near: liberate, loose, loosen, unleash, air, express, take out, vent

  8. to drive danger or attack away from

    "may God bless and keep you"

    similar: bulwark, cover, defend, fence, fend, forfend, guard, protect, safeguard, screen, secure, shield, ward, stand up for
    related: avert, prevent, oppose, resist, withstand, battle, contend, fight, war, conserve, preserve, save, buffer, palisade, picket, wall
    opposite: assail, assault, attack
    near: bombard, storm, beset, besiege, overrun, capitulate, cave, submit, yield

Keep (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the act or activity of keeping something in an existing and usually satisfactory condition

    "the keep of the stable is mainly left to the two equine-loving daughters"

    similar: care and feeding, conservation, conserving, maintenance, preservation, preserving, sustentation, upkeep
    related: conservancy, support, sustaining, care, custody, guardianship, defense, guarding, protection, safeguarding, safekeeping
    near: dereliction, disregard, ignoring, inattention, neglect, negligence, damage, demolition, destruction, harm, hurt, injury, ruin, ruination

Related Entry: Keep (from) (verb)

Keep (from) is a different word from Keep. The synonyms below are for keep (from), not for keep.

  1. to resist the temptation of

    "try to keep from eating all the chocolate in one day!"

    similar: abjure, abstain (from), forbear, forgo, refrain (from), withhold (from)
    related: avoid, eschew, shun, check, constrain, curb, inhibit, deny, refuse, reject, repudiate, buck, combat, fight
    opposite: bow (to), give in (to), submit (to), succumb (to), surrender (to), yield (to)
    near: acquiesce (to), capitulate, concede (to), knuckle under (to)

Related Entry: Keep (to) (verb)

Keep (to) is a different word from Keep. The synonyms below are for keep (to), not for keep.

  1. to give steadfast support to

    "always keeps to his political positions, even when they are unpopular"

    similar: adhere (to), cling (to), hew (to), stand by, stick (to or with), abide by, hold to, live up to
    related: cleave (to), advocate, back, champion, confirm, defend, endorse, espouse, support, uphold, accept, adopt, cherish, cultivate, embrace, follow, foster, heed, backstop, bolster, boost, buttress, enforce, reinforce
    opposite: defect (from)
    near: abandon, abnegate, desert, forsake, give up, relinquish, spurn, surrender, abjure, recall, recant, reconsider, renege, renounce, retract, revoke, take back, unsay, withdraw, controvert, disagree (with), disprove, dispute, rebut, refute, contradict, deny, disavow, disclaim, disown, gainsay, negate, negative, repudiate, back down, back off, backtrack

Related Entry: Keep up (verb)

Keep up is a different word from Keep. The synonyms below are for keep up, not for keep.

  1. to continue to operate or to meet one's needs

    "let's hope that old air conditioner keeps up through this heat wave"

    similar: hold out, hold up, last, prevail, survive
    related: bear up, carry on, cope, endure, fare, get along, get by, get on, go, hang in, make out, manage, persevere, abide, continue, draw out, hang on, hold on, linger, persist, remain, run on, stretch
    opposite: fail, fizzle, give out, go out, peter (out), run out
    near: break, break down, collapse, conk (out), crash, cut out, die, expire, stall, stop, run down, wane

  2. to keep in good condition

    "kept the house up while the owners were gone"

    similar: conserve, maintain, preserve, save
    related: service, support, sustain, care (for), husband, manage, defend, guard, protect, safeguard, screen, shield, cure, fix, heal, remedy, mend, patch, rebuild, reconstruct, rehabilitate, rejuvenate, restore
    near: disregard, ignore, neglect, break, damage, destroy, harm, hurt, impair, injure, ruin, wreck

  3. to remain indefinitely in existence or in the same state

    "let's hope this beautiful weather keeps up for the rest of our vacation"

    similar: abide, bide, continue, endure, hold on, hold up, last, perdure, persist, remain, run on
    related: linger, stay, stick around, tarry, carry through, prevail, survive
    opposite: cease, close, conclude, desist, die, discontinue, end, expire, finish, lapse, leave off, pass, quit, stop, terminate, wind up
    near: abate, die (down), ebb, let up, moderate, subside, wane

Related Entry: Keep (someone) posted (phrase)

Keep (someone) posted is a different word from Keep. The synonyms below are for keep (someone) posted, not for keep.

  1. to give information to

    "I'll keep you posted on any new developments in the case."

    similar: acquaint, advise, apprise, brief, catch up, clear, clue (in), enlighten, familiarize, fill in, hip, inform, instruct, tell, verse, wise (up), let (someone) know
    related: advertise, alert, notify, announce (to), disclose (to), assure, certify, convince, reassure, warrant, educate, lecture, school, teach, tutor, disabuse, disenchant, disillusion, undeceive
    near: misinform, mislead

Related Entry: Keep an eye on (phrase)

Keep an eye on is a different word from Keep. The synonyms below are for keep an eye on, not for keep.

  1. to pay continued close attention to (something) for a particular purpose

    "Can you keep an eye on the biscuits so they don't burn?"

    similar: cover, monitor, watch
    related: surveil, eye, behold, espy, look, note, notice, observe, regard, see, sight, spy, view, witness, gape, gawk, gaze, glare, goggle, peer, rubberneck, stare, glance, glimpse, peek, peep

Related Entry: Keep clear of (phrase)

Keep clear of is a different word from Keep. The synonyms below are for keep clear of, not for keep.

  1. to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery

    "They eventually became wise to the elaborate ruses he used to keep clear of paying his debts."

    similar: avoid, dodge, duck, elude, escape, eschew, evade, finesse, get around, scape, shake, shirk, shuffle (out of), shun, weasel (out of), fight shy of, stay clear of, steer clear of
    related: miss, avert, deflect, divert, obviate, parry, prevent, ward (off), ban, bar, debar, eliminate, except, exclude, preclude, rule out, bypass, circumvent, skirt, foil, fox, frustrate, outfox, outsmart, outwit, overreach, thwart
    near: accept, court, embrace, pursue, seek, welcome, catch, contract, incur

Related Entry: Keep company (phrase)

Keep company is a different word from Keep. The synonyms below are for keep company, not for keep.

  1. to go on dates that may eventually lead to marriage

    "Friends were happy to see the two keeping company."

    similar: court, date, go steady
    related: attend, gallant, romance, spark, woo, escort, see, take out, go out, step out

Related Entry: Keep company (with) (phrase)

Keep company (with) is a different word from Keep. The synonyms below are for keep company (with), not for keep.

  1. to come or be together as friends

    "She goes to her local senior center to keep company with others in her age group."

    similar: associate, chum, company, consociate, consort, fraternize, hang (around or out), hobnob, hook up, mess around, pal (around), run, sort, travel, be friends with, fall in with, rub elbows (with), take up with
    related: affiliate, ally, attach, band, bond, club, collaborate, collude, confederate, conjoin, connect, cooperate, couple, gang, get along, get on, group, interrelate, join, knot, league, link, mingle, mix, rally, relate, side, socialize, team, tie, wed, befriend, friend
    near: avoid, cold-shoulder, shun, snub, alienate, estrange, break up, disband, disperse, split (up), disjoin, dissociate, disunite, divorce, sever, split, sunder

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Keep

The most common words with a similar meaning to Keep:

celebrate, commemorate, observe, hold, reserve, retain, withhold, answer, complete, comply (with), fill, fulfill, meet, redeem, satisfy, put up, reposit, store, stow, maintain, provide (for), support, administer, administrate, carry on, conduct, control, direct, govern, guide, handle, manage, operate, overlook, oversee, preside (over), regulate, run, steward, superintend

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Keep

Words with the opposite meaning of Keep:

break, transgress, violate, give up, hand over, release, relinquish, surrender, yield, breach, lose, assail, assault, attack

Related Words for Keep

bless, consecrate, sanctify, solemnize, fete, honor, laud, praise, memorialize, remember, conserve, preserve, save, boast, enjoy, have, own, possess, command, detain, bear, harbor, cherish, cling (to), hug, treasure, conclude, consummate, finalize, finish

Near Antonyms of Keep

blow off, disregard, forget, ignore, neglect, overlook, abandon, cede, drop, contribute, donate, give, hand out, discard, dump, decline, reject, repudiate, spurn, default (on), overpass, pass over, slight, liberate, loose, loosen, unleash, air, express, take out

Word Forms of Keep

Inflections: kept, keeping

Origin & Etymology of Keep

Middle English kepen, from Old English cēpan; perhaps akin to Old High German chapfēn to look

First known use: before 12th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Keep

Words & Phrases Containing Keep

keep an eye on, keep at, keep-away, keep company, keep company with, keep down, keep house

Frequently Asked Questions about Keep

What does "Keep" mean?

"Keep" means to retain in one's possession or power. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to retain in one's possession or power. It has 9 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Keep"?

Other words for "Keep" include celebrate, commemorate, observe, hold, reserve, retain, withhold and answer. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Keep" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Keep"?

There are 201 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Keep". Common alternatives include celebrate, commemorate, observe, hold, reserve, retain, withhold, answer, complete and comply (with).

What is the opposite of "Keep"?

Antonyms of "Keep" include break, transgress, violate, give up, hand over, release, relinquish and surrender. Near antonyms include blow off, disregard, forget and ignore.

How do you use "Keep" in a sentence?

Examples of "Keep" in a sentence: "keep the Sabbath by not working"; "the money is yours to keep"; "keep my secret and don't tell it to anyone".

Is "Keep" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Keep" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Keep" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Keep" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Keep"?

"Keep" is pronounced /ˈkēp/.