keep to oneself

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Thân thiện
Definition

Verb phrase: 1. To deliberately avoid social contact; to be solitary or unsociable: To choose not to interact with other people and to spend time alone. 2. To refrain from sharing or disclosing (information, thoughts, etc.): To withhold knowledge or a secret; to not tell others.

Usage and Examples

  • Meaning 1 (To be unsociable):

    • After moving to the new town, he tended to keep to himself and rarely attended community events.
    • She's a quiet person who prefers to keep to herself during lunch breaks.

  • Meaning 2 (To withhold information):

    • If you have an opinion, please share it. Don't keep it to yourself.
    • He kept the news to himself for a few days before telling the family.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
  • The phrase can describe a general personality trait (a person who ) or a specific, temporary action ().
  • It often carries a neutral or slightly negative connotation when describing social behavior, implying isolation or a lack of openness.
  • When referring to information, it can be a positive act (keeping a secret) or a negative one (withholding important news).
Variants and Related Words
  • Keep oneself to oneself: This is a more emphatic or formal British English variant with the same meaning as social reclusiveness.
    • The old man in the cottage keeps himself to himself.
Synonyms
  • For social meaning: Withdraw, isolate oneself, be a loner, be introverted.
  • For information meaning: Withhold, conceal, not disclose, keep secret.
Related Phrasal Verbs / Constructions
  • Keep (something) from (someone): To deliberately not tell someone something.
    • She kept the truth from her parents.
  • Bottle up: To refuse to express or talk about one's feelings (similar to the second meaning, but specifically for emotions).
    • Don't bottle up your anger; talk about it.
Related Idioms
  • Keep one's own counsel: To keep one's thoughts, plans, or opinions secret. This is a more formal idiom closely related to the second meaning.
    • On the matter, the CEO kept her own counsel.
  • Be a closed book: To be a person who is difficult to know or understand because they do not talk about themselves.
    • He's very a closed book; he really keeps to himself.
Verb
  1. withhold information
    • I kept your little secret to myself all these years
  2. shun the company of others
    • The new student keeps to herself