/ki:p ||; kip/verb (
past tense past participle kept /kept
||; kɛpt/)
1 [I] to continue to be in a particular state or position 保持某状态或位置: You must keep warm. 你必须保持身体暖和。That child can't keep still. 那个小孩坐不定。I still keep in touch with my old school friends. 我仍然跟上学时的老朋友保持联系。
2 [T] to make sb/sth stay in a particular state, place or condition 使保持某状态或位置: Please keep this door closed. 请保持此门紧闭。He kept his hands in his pockets. 他双手一直插在口袋里。I'm sorry to keep you waiting. 要你久等，真对不起。
3 [T] to continue to have sth; to save sth for sb 保留；留给: You can keep that book -- I don't need it any more. 那本书你可以留着，我用不着了。Can I keep the car until next week? 这辆汽车我可不可以留到下个星期再还给你？Can you keep my seat for me till I get back? 替我留着这个座位，直到我回来，好吗？
4 [T] to have sth in a particular place 放置: Where do you keep the matches? 你把火柴放在哪儿？Keep your passport in a safe place. 把你的护照放在安全地方。
5 [T] keep doing sth to continue doing sth or to repeat an action many times 继续或重复做某动作: Keep going until you get to the church and then turn left. 一直往前走，到了教堂再向左拐。She keeps asking me silly questions. 她老问我一些愚蠢的问题。
6 [T] to do what you promised or arranged 履行诺言: Can you keep a promise? 你能履行诺言吗？She didn't keep her appointment at the dentist's. 她在牙医那里挂了号，后来没有去。to keep a secret (= not tell it to anyone) 保守秘密
7 [T] to write down sth that you want to remember 把…记录下来: Keep a record of how much you spend. 记下你的开支。to keep a diary 写日记
8 [I] (used about food) to stay fresh （指食物）保持新鲜: Drink up all the milk -- it won't keep in this weather. 把牛奶喝光，这种天气牛奶放不久。
9 [T] to support sb with your money 供养: You can't keep a family on the money I earn. 我挣的钱不足以养家。
10 [T] to have and look after animals 饲养: They keep ducks on their farm. 他们在农场养鸭。
11 [T] to delay sb/sth; to prevent sb from leaving 阻延；耽搁: Where's the doctor? What's keeping him? 医生在哪里？什么事情把他拖住了？
keep it up to continue doing sth as well as you are doing it now 保持良好成绩
For other expressions using keep, look at the entries for the nouns and adjectives, for example keep count is at count. 其他含keep的词语，参看有关名词及形容词词条，如keep count可参看词条count。 keep at it/sth to continue to work on/at sth 做下去:
Keep at it -- we should be finished soon. 做下去，我们很快就可以干完了。 keep away from sb/sth to not go near sb/sth 远离（某人或某事物）:
Keep away from the town centre this weekend. 这个周末不要到市中心去。 keep sb/sth back to prevent sb/sth from moving forwards 阻止…靠近:
The police tried to keep the crowd back. 警察试图阻止群众向前涌来。 keep sth back (from sb) to refuse to tell sb sth （对某人）隐瞒某事物:
I know he's keeping something back; he knows much more than he says. 我知道他在隐瞒着一些事情，他知道的要比说出来的多得多。 keep sth down to make sth stay at a low level, to stop sth increasing 抑制；压低:
Keep your voice down. 小声一点儿。 keep sb from sth/from doing sth to prevent sb from doing sth 使某人不能做某事
keep sth from sb to refuse to tell sb sth 隐瞒
keep your mouth shut→
MOUTH¹
keep off sth to not go near or on sth 不走近某物:
Keep off the grass! 不要践踏草地！ keep sth off (sb/sth) to stop sth touching or going on sb/sth 不让某事物接近…:
I'm trying to keep the flies off the food. 我正设法不让苍蝇碰到食物。 keep on (doing sth) to continue doing sth or to repeat an action many times, especially in an annoying way 继续或重复做某事（尤指令人腻烦的）:
He keeps on interrupting me. 他一次又一次打断我的话。 keep on (at sb) (about sb/sth) to continue talking to sb in an annoying or complaining way （向某人）唠叨:
She kept on at me about my homework until I did it. 她唠唠叨叨地说我作业的事，一直说到我把作业做完。 keep (sb/sth) out (of sth) to not enter sth; to stop sb/sth entering sth 不让…进入﹙某处﹚:
They put up a fence to keep people out of their garden. 他们修了一道篱笆，不让别人进入他们的花园。 keep to sth to not leave sth; to do sth in the usual, agreed or expected way 不离开某事物；遵守；遵循:
Keep to the path! 沿着这条小径走，不要偏离！He didn't keep to our agreement. 他没有遵守我们的协议。 keep sth to/at sth to not allow sth to rise above a particular level 不让某物超过某程度:
We're trying to keep costs to a minimum. 我们正在设法把成本降到最低。 keep sth up 1 to prevent sth from falling down 不让某物下跌
2 to make sth stay at a high level 使维持在高水平: We want to keep up standards of education. 我们想要保持教育的水平，不让它下降。
3 to continue doing sth 继续做
keep up (with sb) to move at the same speed as sb 跟上（某人）:
Can't you walk a bit slower? I can't keep up. 你走慢一点行吗？我跟不上。 keep up (with sth) to know about what is happening 知道正在发生的事情；跟上（时代）:
You have to read the latest magazines if you want to keep up. 如果你想跟上形势，就要看看最新出版的杂志。