keep off
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb (transitive and intransitive):
- To refrain from entering, walking on, touching, or using something. It is an instruction or a state of avoidance.
- To cause something to stay at a distance or to not begin.
- To refrain from consuming certain foods or beverages.
Usage and Examples
As an instruction (often on signs):
- The sign said, "Please keep off the grass."
- Visitors are asked to keep off the machinery for their own safety.
To avoid consuming something:
- Her doctor advised her to keep off fatty foods.
- He has managed to keep off alcohol for five years.
To stay away from a subject or topic:
- During the meeting, we tried to keep off the controversial issue.
- Let's keep off politics at the dinner table.
To prevent something from starting or approaching:
- We lit a fire to keep the mosquitoes off.
- The umbrella helped keep the rain off.
Advanced Usage
"Keep one's hands off": To not touch or take something that belongs to someone else.
- I told him to keep his hands off my laptop.
"Keep off someone's back" (idiomatic): To stop criticizing, nagging, or putting pressure on someone.
- I wish my boss would keep off my back about the minor details.
Variants and Related Words
- Keep-Off (noun/adjective): Used attributively to describe something designed to prevent contact or use.
- The garden had a keep-off notice. (This is a compound usage, not the core phrasal verb itself).
Synonyms
- Avoid: To stay away from.
- Refrain from: To stop oneself from doing something.
- Stay off: To not go onto or use.
- Steer clear of: To avoid completely.
Phrasal Verbs
- Keep off is itself a phrasal verb. Its meaning is integrated into the definitions above. It can be separable.
- Can you keep the dog off the sofa? (Separable)
- You should keep off that path. (Inseparable)
Related Idioms
- Keep your shirt on!: An idiom meaning "stay calm" or "don't get angry," which is related in structure but not in meaning to "keep off."
- Keep off the sauce: A slang idiom meaning to abstain from alcoholic drinks.
- After his health scare, he decided to keep off the sauce for good.
Verb
- refrain from entering or walking onto
- keep off the grass
- stay off the premises
- refrain from certain foods or beverages
- I keep off drugs
- During Ramadan, Muslims avoid tobacco during the day