keep up

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Thân thiện
Definition

  1. Verb (transitive):

    • To prevent someone from sleeping: To cause someone to remain awake, especially at night.
    • To maintain or continue something at the same level or standard: To sustain an activity, effort, or condition without allowing it to decline or stop.
    • To preserve or sustain something in good condition: To protect or maintain the state or existence of something.

  2. Verb (intransitive):

    • To continue at the same pace or level as someone or something else: To match the speed, progress, or standard of another, so as not to fall behind.
    • To stay informed or current: To remain knowledgeable about developments or news regarding a particular subject.
Examples of Usage

  • Verb (transitive):

    • The loud noise from the party kept the neighbors up.
    • She kept up a cheerful appearance despite the bad news.
    • It's difficult to keep up this old house without regular repairs.

  • Verb (intransitive):

    • He walked so fast I could hardly keep up.
    • I try to keep up with the latest technological trends.
Advanced Usage

  • "to keep up appearances": To maintain an outward show of prosperity, happiness, or propriety, especially to hide the true situation.

    • After losing his job, he struggled to keep up appearances for the sake of his family.

  • "to keep up with the Joneses": To try to match the lifestyle, purchases, or social status of one's neighbors or peers, often leading to competitive spending.

    • They bought a new car just to keep up with the Joneses.
Variants and Related Words
  • Upkeep (n): The process or cost of keeping something in good condition.
    • The upkeep of a large garden can be expensive.
Synonyms
  • Maintain: To cause something to continue in a certain state.
  • Sustain: To strengthen or support physically or mentally; to cause to continue for an extended period.
  • Preserve: To maintain something in its original or existing state.
  • Match: To be equal to something in quality or pace.
Related Phrasal Verbs
  • Keep up with: To stay level or informed about someone or something.
    • You need to read the industry reports to keep up with new developments.
Related Idioms
  • Keep your chin up: Remain cheerful in a difficult situation.
    • I know you're disappointed, but keep your chin up.
  • Keep your end up: To fulfill one's part of an agreement or responsibility.
    • We've done our work, so we expect you to keep your end up.
Verb
  1. prevent from going to bed at night
    • The anticipation of the trip kept the children up all night
    • I kept myself up all night studying for the exam
  2. keep informed
    • He kept up on his country's foreign policies
  3. keep in safety and protect from harm, decay, loss, or destruction
    • We preserve these archeological findings
    • The old lady could not keep up the building
    • children must be taught to conserve our national heritage
    • The museum curator conserved the ancient manuscripts
  4. lengthen or extend in duration or space
    • We sustained the diplomatic negotiations as long as possible
    • prolong the treatment of the patient
    • keep up the good work
  5. maintain a required pace or level
    • He could not keep up and dropped out of the race

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