Keep
What it means
To protect, retain, or continue something valued.
Reach for it when talking about preservation or faithful continuation
Even after the grant ended, the neighbors kept the evening classes running.
Words to choose between 8
| everyday |
|
|---|---|
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal |
-
everyday
continue
Fits when the action simply proceeds
Careful Continue cannot replace keep when a promise or possession is involved.
-
warm
Fits when faithfulness to a promise is central
Careful Honor adds moral praise that routine continuation may not deserve.
-
professional
Fits when ongoing work holds a standard steady
Careful Maintenance suggests upkeep rather than carrying on one action.
-
professional
retain
Fits when possession or a feature remains in place
Careful Retain does not express active care for what is kept.
-
professional
Fits when a principle or standard remains in force
Careful Uphold is too institutional for a casual arrangement.
-
formal
Fits when protection from loss or decay is deliberate
Careful Preserve sounds technical for simply retaining an everyday item.
-
formal
Fits when preventing damage or misuse is the priority
Careful Safeguard overstates the stakes of ordinary storage.
-
formal
Fits when effort or resources support something over time
Careful Sustain may imply external support, not personal persistence.
Opposites 3
- discard
- neglect
- abandon
Common phrases 3
-
keep safe
A padded sleeve will keep safe the photographs during the move.
-
keep going
A note from her mentor helped Lina keep going through the final revision.
-
keep a promise
He rearranged the visit so he could keep a promise to his daughter.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Naomi Persephone Amethyst, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated