Lexic.us

Definition of Keep up

1. Verb. Maintain a required pace or level. "He could not keep up and dropped out of the race"

2. Verb. Lengthen or extend in duration or space. "Keep up the good work"

3. Verb. Keep in safety and protect from harm, decay, loss, or destruction. "The museum curator conserved the ancient manuscripts"

4. Verb. Keep informed. "He kept up on his country's foreign policies"

5. Verb. Prevent from going to bed at night. "I kept myself up all night studying for the exam"

Definition of Keep up

1. Verb. (transitive) To maintain; to preserve; to prevent from deteriorating. ¹

2. Verb. (transitive idiomatic) To continue with (work, etc). ¹

3. Verb. (intransitive idiomatic) To stay even or ahead. ¹

4. Verb. To ensure that one remains well-informed about something ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Lexicographical Neighbors of Keep Up

keep shtum keep somebody posted keep someone company keep someone in the dark keep someone in the loop keep someone on ice keep step keep straight keep tabs on keep the change

keep the home fires burning keep the peace keep to oneself keep track keep up (current term) keep up appearances keep up with keep up with the Joneses keep watch keep wicket

keep with keep your friends close, and your enemies closer keepability keepable keepalive keepalives keepe keeped keeper

Literary usage of Keep up

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. The woman in white by Wilkie Collins (1871)
"I must be careful to keep up friendly appearances with the Count; and I must be well on my guard, when the messenger from the office comes here with the ..."

2. A Dictionary of the English Language: In which the Words are Deduced from ...by Samuel Johnson by Samuel Johnson (1805)
"This dangerous dissension among us we keep up and cherish with much pains. ... You have enough to keep you alive, and to keep up and improve your hopes of ..."

3. Daniel Deronda by George Eliot (1876)
"I have been making it a reason why I should keep up my hope and be as cheerful as I can, because I would not give you any pain about me. ..."

4. St. Nicholas by Mary Mapes Dodge (1889)
"THE LAMB THAT COULD N'T "keep up." BY MARY HALLOCK FOOTE. UNTIL Jack Gilmour was seven years old, his home had been at his grandfather's house, ..."

5. Chronological History of the West Indies by Thomas Southey (1827)
"1708, that it annually required 3640, or about seven per cent., to keep up the stock. The average price of a Negro was ^23 8s. 1708. Upon the 28th of May, ..."

6. Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Standard Work of Reference in Art, Literature (1907)
"... set in movement with his feet, and thus was able to keep up a regular speed and leave his hands free for the manipulation of the clay (see Fig. 2). ..."

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