keep
verb
uk/kiːp/us/kiːp/kept|keptkeepverb(CONTINUE TO HAVE)
A2[T]
to have orcontinueto have inyourpossession:
保有；保存；保留Do youwantthisphotographback or can I keep it?你想要回这张照片，还是我留着它？
Keepmedicinesin alockedcupboard(=storethem there).将药存放在上锁的橱柜里。
See also
well kept(HIDDEN)
to keep something
- keepI've kept all my grandmother's jewellery.
- storeI've stored all Helen's books in the attic.
- stashHis money was stashed in a cupboard.
- saveI have some really good chocolates that I've been saving for a special occasion.
- hang ontoYou should hang onto that picture - it might be worth something.
[T]
to own andmanageasmallshop:
经营，管理（小店铺）Myunclekept a little tobacconist's in Gloucester.我叔叔在格洛斯特开了一家小烟草店。
B2[T]
If you keepanimals, you own and takecareof them, but not inyourhomeaspets:
饲养to keeppigs/goats/chickens养猪／山羊／鸡
[T]US
towatchandcarefor someone'schildrenwhiletheirparentsare away:
照顾，照看（某人的孩子）Jody will keep thechildrenwhile Ishop.我去买东西时，乔迪会照看孩子。
keep your promise/word
B2
to do what you have told someone that you would do:
履行诺言I made apromiseto you and Iintendto keep it.我向你作过承诺，我会履行的。
keep an appointment
to go to ameetingoreventthat has beenarranged:
守约Shephonedto say she couldn't keep herappointment.她打电话说她无法守约了。
keep a diary, an account, a record, etc.
B2
to make aregularrecordofeventsor otherinformationso that you can refer to itlater:
记日记／记账／作记录（等等）I've kept adiaryfor twelveyearsnow.到现在我记日记已有12年了。
Keep anaccountof how much you'respending.记下你花多少钱。
keep a secret
B1
to nottellanyone asecretthat youknow
保守秘密keep time
(of awatchorclock) to show thecorrecttime:
（表或钟）准时Doesyourwatchkeepgoodtime?你的表准吗？
keep goal
to be theplayerwhodefendsyourteam'sgoalbytryingtopreventplayersfrom the otherteamscoringgoals
（在球类比赛中）守门- I always keep acopyof anyofficialorimportantlettersthat Isendoff.
- If you keepvaluablesinyourhouse,lockthem awaysomewheresafe.
- I'm going tosorttheseoldbooksinto those to be kept and those to bethrownaway.
- Heshavedoff hisbeardbut kept hismoustache.
- Aspartoftheirdivorcesettlement, GeoffagreedtoletPolly keep thehouse.
Keeping and storing things
- appropriate
- aside
- bank
- bogart
- capacitance
- capture
- cling
- dump
- keep(something/someone)back
- lay
- laysomethingaside
- laysomethingdown
- laysomethingin
- maintain
- stash
- stockpile
- stockpiling
- storage
- store
- trap
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Buying & selling - general words
Managing and organizing
Animal farming - general words
Parenting & caring for children
Making & breaking promises & commitments
Plans and arrangements
Writing & typing
Watches & clocks
General terms used in ball sports
keepverb(STAY)
A2[L only+ adj,T]
to (causeto)stayin aparticularplaceorcondition:
（使）留在（某处）；（使）保持（某状态）Iwishyou'd keepquiet.我希望你能保持安静。
I like to keepbusy.我喜欢一直忙忙碌碌的。
Keepleft(=stayon theroadto theleft)at thetrafficlights.到红绿灯处走左边的路。
Can you keep thedogoutside,please?你能让狗呆在外面吗？
[+ obj + adj]Close thedoorto keep theroomwarm.关上门让房间保持暖和。
Thenoisefromtheirpartykept meawakehalfthenight.他们聚会传来的吵闹声使我半夜都没睡着。
keepsomethingquiet
to nottellpeopleabout something:
保守秘密Theymanagedto keep the school'sproblemsquietfor a while.他们设法把学校的问题保密了一阵子。
You're aqualifiedskiinginstructor? You kept thatquiet!你有滑雪教练资格？你从来没说过！
- Biscuits willstaycrispif you keep them in anairtightcontainer.
- I keep mysocksin thebottomdrawer.
- Plants keepcoolduring thesummerbyevaporatingwaterfromtheirleaves.
- Thepoorthings were kept insmallcageswithoutroomtomove.
- Could you keepquietwhile I'm on thephone,please?
Keeping and staying the same
- anti-progressive
- calcification
- calcify
- consistency
- consistent
- continuum
- insensitivity
- invariant
- inveteracy
- leave well aloneidiom
- left
- peg
- stability
- stabilization
- stabilize
- stably
- stay
- wallow
- wallow insomething
- wouldn't have it any other wayidiom
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Secrecy and privacy
keepverb(CONTINUE DOING)
B1[I+ -ing verb](alsokeep on)
tocontinuedoing something withoutstopping, or to do itrepeatedly:
继续（做）；重复（做）He keepstryingtodistractme.他一直想分散我的注意力。
I keep onthinkingI'veseenher beforesomewhere.我一直觉得以前在哪儿见过她。
I kepthopingthat he'dphoneme.我一直希望他会给我打电话。
keep going
tocontinuein the same way as before:
继续If things keep going like this, we'll have toclosethebusiness.如果情况继续这样的话，我们就不得不关门了。
tocontinueto do something or tolivenormallyin adifficultsituation:
（在困难的条件下）继续（做）；正常生活Sometimes it was hard to keep going, but we did it for the children'ssake.有时候很难坚持下去，但是为了孩子我们挺过来了。
keepsomeonegoing
tohelpsomeone tocontinuedoing something orlivingnormally,especiallyin adifficultsituation:
（尤指在困难的条件下）协助…继续（做）；正常生活It was myfriendsthat kept me going through all this.是我的朋友们让我坚持下去，度过了这一切。
informal
topreventsomeone from getting toohungrywhen they have towaittoeatameal:
（在等待吃饭时）使…不至于太饿Have apieceoffruitto keep you going.吃一点水果，不要太饿。
- She's got asecretadmirerwho keepssendinghergifts.
- She kepttellingherself that nothing waswrong.
- They werelaughingat him because he keptfallingoff hisbike.
- I've called him severaltimesbut I keep getting theengagedtone.
- I don't like thosewatchesthat keepbeepingeveryhour.
Continue & last
- (it's) business as usualidiom
- bash on
- carry(something)on
- cease
- cont.
- contd
- echo
- insist ondoing something
- jag
- keep atsomething
- keepsomeoneat itidiom
- leg
- push ahead
- push on
- run on
- runsomeone/somethingover
- seesomethingout
- soldier
- span
- spin
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Experiencing and suffering
Eating
keepverb(DELAY)
B1[T]
todelaysomeone orpreventthem from doing something:
使耽误；阻止，妨碍He's very late - what's keeping him?他迟到了很久，是什么耽搁了他？
[+ -ing verb]I'm sosorryto keep youwaiting.很抱歉，让你久等了。
She kept metalkingon thephoneforhalfanhour.她缠着我在电话里讲了半个小时。
IhopeI'm not keeping youup(=preventingyou from going tobed).希望我没有耽误你睡觉。
[I]
If you say thatnewsorinformationfor someone can keep, youmeanthat you cantellit to themlater:
稍后再说"I musttellyou something." "Can't it keep? I'm in ahurry!"“我得跟你说件事”。“能以后再说吗？我现在赶时间。”
Whateveryournewsis, it will keep.不管你有什么新闻，等等再说。
- She kept mewaitingforhours.
- What's keeping her from justaskinghim?
- She kept mesittingin thekitchenwhile shetalkedto him.
- Try not to keepmotherwaiting.
- He kept meworkingallevening.
Delaying and wasting time
- ado
- busywork
- buy timeidiom
- carrysomethingover
- dally
- gridlock
- inefficiency
- inefficiently
- kick
- kicksomethinginto the long grassidiom
- kick the can down the roadidiom
- push
- retard
- retardation
- setsomeoneback(something)
- shelve
- sit
- sit onsomething
- spin
- stall
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Preventing and impeding
keepverb(STAY FRESH)
B2[I]
(offood) tostayfreshand in goodcondition:
（食物）保持新鲜，持久不坏Milk keeps muchlongerin afridge.牛奶放在冰箱里保鲜时间会长很多。
Decaying and staying fresh
- best-before date
- biodegradable
- biodegrade
- compost
- decay
- decompose
- mouldy
- nonperishable
- nutrient cycling
- out of date
- perish
- perishable
- rack
- rotten
- seed
- sell-by date
- shrivel
- shrivelled
- spoil
- withered
keepverb(PROVIDE)
C1[T]
toprovideyourself or anotherpersonwithfood,clothing, ahome, and other thingsnecessaryforbasicliving:
供养；养活Hewantedajobthat wouldallowhim to keep hisfamilyincomfort.他需要一份工作来养活全家，让他们过上舒服的生活。
Giving, providing and supplying
- accommodate
- accord
- administer
- administration
- assignment
- award
- dish
- hand off
- handsomethingin
- handsomethingout
- handsomethingover
- handsomethinground
- invest
- passing
- reassignment
- rebid
- regift
- reprovision
- resource
- spare
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Defending and protecting
Idiom
how are you keeping?
Phrasal verbs
keep atsomething
keep(someone/something)away
keep(something/someone)back
keepsomethingback
keepsomethingdown
keepsomeonedown
keep from doingsomething
keepsomeone/somethingfromsomething
keepsomethingfromsomeone
keepsomeonein
keep in withsomeone
keep(someone/something)offsomething
keepsomethingoff(someone/something)
keep(someone)offsomething
keep offsomething
keep on doingsomething
keep on
keep(someone/something)out
keep(someone/something)out ofsomething
keep tosomewhere
keepsomethingtosomething
keepsomethingtoyourself
keep(yourself)toyourself
keep tosomething
keepsomeoneup
keepsomethingup
keep(something)up
keep up
keep up (withsomeone/something)
keep
noun
uk/kiːp/us/kiːp/keepnoun(LIVING EXPENSES)
[U]
thecostofprovidingfood,heating, and othernecessarythings for someone:
生计；生活费用He'soldenough now toearnhis keep andstoplivingoff hisparents.他现已长大成人，可以自谋生计而不再依靠父母。
Costs & expenses
- aliment
- all in
- blue book value
- book value
- carriage
- carrying charge
- cash flow
- expenditure
- fee
- gate money
- purchasing power
- special offer
- spend
- starting price
- sticker price
- sunk cost
- surcharge
- time is moneyidiom
- top rate
- transfer fee
keepnoun(TOWER)
[C]architecturespecialized
thestrongmaintowerof acastle
要塞；城堡主楼
Stuart Forster/robertharding/GettyImages
Fortifications
- acropolis
- barricade
- bastion
- battlements
- castle
- defensive architecture
- drawbridge
- earthwork
- enceinte
- entanglement
- fortress
- foxhole
- Martello tower
- moat
- moated
- rampart
- redoubt
- stockade
- storm cellar
- stronghold