keep up

keep  (kp)

v. kept, keep·ing, keeps

v.tr.

1. To retain possession of: kept the change; must keep your composure.

2. To have as a supply: keep an ax in the shed.

3.

a. To provide (a family, for example) with maintenance and support: "There's little to earn and many to keep" (Charles Kingsley).

b. To support (a mistress or lover) financially.

4. To put customarily; store: Where do you keep your saw?

5.

a. To supply with room and board for a charge: keep boarders.

b. To raise: keep chickens.

6. To maintain for use or service: an urbanite who didn't keep a car.

7. To manage, tend, or have charge of: Keep the shop while I'm away.

8. To preserve (food).

9. To cause to continue in a state, condition, or course of action: tried to keep the patient calm.

10.

a. To maintain records in: keep a yearly diary.

b. To enter (data) in a book: keep financial records.

11.

a. To detain: was kept after school.

b. To restrain: kept the child away from the stove; kept the crowd back with barriers.

c. To prevent or deter: tried to keep the ice from melting.

d. To refrain from divulging: keep a secret.

e. To save; reserve: keep extra money for emergencies.

12. To adhere or conform to; follow: keep late hours.

13. To be faithful to; fulfill: keep one's word.

14. To celebrate; observe.

v.intr.

1. To remain in a state or condition; stay: keep in line; keep quiet; kept well.

2. To continue to do: keep on talking; keep guessing.

3. To remain fresh or unspoiled: The dessert won't keep.

4. To restrain oneself; hold oneself back: I couldn't keep from eavesdropping.

n.

1. Care; charge: The child is in my keep for the day.

2. The means by which one is supported: earn one's keep.

3.

a. The stronghold of a castle.

b. A jail.

Phrasal Verbs:

keep at

To persevere in work or an action.

keep down

1. To prevent from growing, accomplishing, or succeeding: keep the revolutionaries down.

2. To hold under control or at a reduced level: Keep your voice down.

3. To refrain from vomiting: Although seasick, I managed to keep my food down.

keep off

To stay away from.

keep to

To adhere to: keep to the original purpose.

keep up

1. To maintain in good condition: kept up the property.

2.

a. To persevere in; carry on: We asked her to stop talking, but she kept it up.

b. To preserve or sustain: kept up the appearance of friendship.

3. To continue at the same level or pace: The snow kept up all day.

4. To continue to pay off (a financial obligation).

5. To match one's competitors, colleagues, or neighbors in success or lifestyle: couldn't keep up with his friends who went into business.

6. To remain adequately informed: loved to keep up on the gossip.

Idioms:

for keeps

1. For an indefinitely long period: gave the ring to me for keeps.

2. Seriously and permanently: We're separating for keeps.

keep an eye on

1. To watch over attentively; mind.

2. To watch closely or carefully: keep your eye on the ball.

keep an eye out

To be watchful.

keep a stiff upper lip

To be courageous or stoic in the face of adversity.

keep company

1. To carry on a courtship: a couple who kept company but never married.

2. To socialize or associate: keeps company with some tough thugs.

keep (one's) chin up

To be stalwart, courageous, or optimistic in the face of difficulty.

keep (one's) eyes open/peeled

To be on the lookout.

keep (one's) nose clean Informal

To stay out of trouble.

keep pace

To stay even with others, as in a contest.

keep (someone) company

To accompany or remain with.

keep the wolf from the door

To avoid the privation and suffering resulting from a lack of money: Both spouses had to work in order to keep the wolf from the door.

keep time

1. To indicate the correct time.

2. Music To maintain the tempo or rhythm.

keep to (oneself)

1. To shun the company of others: She kept to herself all morning.

2. To refrain from divulging: He kept the news to himself.

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[Middle English kepen, from Old English cpan, to observe, seize.]

Synonyms: keep, retain, withhold, reserve
These verbs mean to have and maintain in one's possession or control. Keep is the most general: We received a few offers but decided to keep the house.
Retain means to continue to hold, especially in the face of possible loss: Though unhappy, he retained his sense of humor.
Withhold implies reluctance or refusal to give, grant, or allow: The tenant withheld his rent until the owner fixed the boiler.
To reserve is to hold back for the future or for a special purpose: The farmer reserved two acres for an orchard. See Also Synonyms at observe.

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keep up

vb (adverb)

1. (tr) to maintain (prices, one's morale) at the present level

2. (intr) to maintain a pace or rate set by another

3. (intr; often foll by with) to remain informed to keep up with technological developments

4. (tr) to maintain in good condition

5. (tr) to hinder (a person) from going to bed at night the excitement kept the children up well past their bedtime

keep it up to continue a good performance

keep one's chin up to keep cheerful under difficult circumstances

keep one's end up to maintain one's stance or position against opposition or misfortune

keep up with to remain in contact with, esp by letter

keep up with (the Joneses) Informal to compete with (one's neighbours) in material possessions, etc.

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	keep up - maintain a required pace or level; "He could not keep up and dropped out of the race" keep pace, keep step - maintain the same pace; "The child cannot keep step with his big brother"
	2.	keep up - lengthen or extend in duration or space; "We sustained the diplomatic negotiations as long as possible"; "prolong the treatment of the patient"; "keep up the good work" sustain, prolong keep on, retain, continue, keep - allow to remain in a place or position or maintain a property or feature; "We cannot continue several servants any longer"; "She retains a lawyer"; "The family's fortune waned and they could not keep their household staff"; "Our grant has run out and we cannot keep you on"; "We kept the work going as long as we could"; "She retained her composure"; "this garment retains its shape even after many washings" preserve, uphold, carry on, continue, bear on - keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last; "preserve the peace in the family"; "continue the family tradition"; "Carry on the old traditions"
	3.	keep up - keep in safety and protect from harm, decay, loss, or destruction; "We preserve these archeological findings"; "The old lady could not keep up the building"; "children must be taught to conserve our national heritage"; "The museum curator conserved the ancient manuscripts" conserve, maintain, preserve keep - look after; be the keeper of; have charge of; "He keeps the shop when I am gone" embalm - preserve a dead body plastinate - preserve (tissue) with plastics, as for teaching and research purposes; "The doctor plastinates bodies to teach anatomy to his students" hold the line - hold the line on prices; keep the price of something constant
	4.	keep up - keep informed; "He kept up on his country's foreign policies" keep abreast, follow trace, follow - follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something; "We must follow closely the economic development is Cuba" ; "trace the student's progress"
	5.	keep up - prevent from going to bed at night; "The anticipation of the trip kept the children up all night"; "I kept myself up all night studying for the exam"

Translations

keep up → يَبقي فى حالة جيدة pokračovat holde trit med aufrechterhalten διατηρώ στο ίδιο επίπεδο continuar pysyä mukana suivre držati korak mantenere 維持する 유지하다 overeind blijven holde ved like podtrzymać manter поддерживать hålla jämna steg รักษาไว้ที่ระดับปัจจุบัน sürdürmek giữ vững 维持