Keep definition

Keep as a verb

1. cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity

   "The students keep me on my toes"

   Same sense: hold, maintain

2. continue a certain state, condition, or activity

   "Keep on working!"

   Same sense: go on, go along, continue, proceed

3. retain possession of

   "Can I keep my old stuffed animals?"

   Same sense: hold on

4. stop (someone or something) from doing something or being in a certain state

   "Keep the child from eating the marbles"

   Same sense: prevent

5. conform one's action or practice to

   "keep appointments"

   Same sense: observe

6. stick to correctly or closely

   "keep count"

   Same sense: maintain, observe

7. look after; be the keeper of; have charge of

   "He keeps the shop when I am gone"

8. maintain by writing regular records

   "keep a diary"

   Same sense: maintain

9. supply with room and board

   "He is keeping three women in the guest cottage"

10. allow to remain in a place or position or maintain a property or feature

    "The family's fortune waned and they could not keep their household staff"

    Same sense: keep on, continue, retain

11. supply with necessities and support

    "There's little to earn and many to keep"

    Same sense: maintain, sustain

12. fail to spoil or rot

    "These potatoes keep for a long time"

    Same sense: stay fresh

13. behave as expected during of holidays or rites

    "Keep the commandments"

    Same sense: celebrate, observe

14. maintain in safety from injury, harm, or danger

    "May God keep you"

    Same sense: preserve

15. to rear

    "She keeps a few chickens in the yard"

16. retain rights to

    "keep my job for me while I give birth"

    Same sense: keep open, save, hold open

17. store or keep customarily

    "Where do you keep your gardening tools?"

18. have as a supply

    "I always keep batteries in the freezer"

19. maintain for use and service

    "I keep a car in the countryside"

    Same sense: maintain

20. hold and prevent from leaving

21. prevent the action or expression of

    "keep your cool"

    Same sense: keep back, hold back, restrain

22. prevent (food) from rotting

    "keep potatoes fresh"

    Same sense: preserve

Keep as a noun

23. the financial means whereby one lives

    "each child was expected to pay for their keep"

    Same sense: support, living, bread and butter, livelihood, sustenance

24. the main tower within the walls of a medieval castle or fortress

    Same sense: dungeon, donjon

25. a cell in a jail or prison

    Same sense: hold

Synonyms and antonyms

• hold definition
• maintain
• go on
• go along
• continue definition
• proceed
• hold on
• prevent
• observe
• keep on
• retain
• sustain
• stay fresh
• celebrate
• preserve
• keep open
• save definition
• hold open
• keep back
• hold back
• restrain
• support definition
• living
• bread and butter

Opposites: lose, break.

All synonyms of keep, sense by sense

How to say keep

Keep has 1 syllable and rhymes with sleep. Syllable counts and rhymes come from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary.

Words that rhyme with keep

• sleep
• deep
• cheap
• asleep
• sheep
• steep
• sweep
• leap
• creep
• jeep
• heap
• reap

All 21 words that rhyme with keep

KEEP in word games

Scrabble

10

Words With Friends

11

Anagrams

2

Is KEEP a valid Scrabble word? Yes, it is in the ENABLE list most word games use. Check KEEP in the word checker, or unscramble KEEP to see its 2 anagrams and the shorter words in its letters.