What does keep mean?
Keep is a common English verb with several related meanings. At its core, it means to hold or retain something, whether in the hand, in storage, or in one's possession. It can also mean to preserve something in an existing condition, as in keeping a promise or keeping food fresh. In other contexts, it means to continue an activity or maintain a standard: She kept practising until she improved. People also use it to describe remaining in a state or place, such as keeping a door closed, and to mean manage or look after something, such as keeping a garden or a pet. The word can carry a neutral meaning of preservation, or a stronger sense of deliberate control and responsibility. Its flexibility makes it useful in everyday speech, formal writing, and instructions, while expressions such as keep in touch and keep up with the changes are especially familiar.
To hold, retain, or preserve something; to maintain or continue something; to remain in a state or place; or to manage or look after something.
"They keep the documents in a secure cabinet and the garden in good condition."
The precise meaning depends on the object and context. In phrases such as keep up with, it means to stay abreast of someone or something.
The main fortified tower of a castle or medieval fortress.
"The oldest part of the castle is its stone keep."
This noun is literary and historical in modern English. It is usually used with the definite article: the keep.
The plural is rare in modern usage; the historical noun is normally singular, especially in the phrase the keep.
"The tour included visits to the castle's keeps and surrounding walls."
The word keep preserves not only objects but also commitments, habits, relationships, and even the passage of time.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does keep come from?
The English word keep comes from Old English cēpan, meaning to hold, preserve, or maintain. It developed within the Germanic family of languages and is related to forms in other Germanic languages with comparable meanings. The modern verb preserves several of these older senses, including physical retention, care, and maintenance.
Related word forms
How keep is actually used
The word is extremely versatile and can suggest possession, preservation, continuation, restraint, or control. The phrase keep someone from doing something means to prevent them from doing it, while keep something to yourself means to keep it private.
Easily confused with keep
Keep is the present-tense form, while kept is the past tense and past participle: I keep the letters, and I have kept them.