Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.

Definition: Keep On |
Keep OnVerb1. Allow to remain in a place or position; "We cannot continue several servants any longer"; "She retains a lawyer"; "The family's fortune waned and they could not keep their household staff"; "Our grant has run out and we cannot keep you on"; "We kept the work going as long as we could". Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Synonyms: Keep OnSynonyms: continue (v), keep (v), keep going (v), retain (v). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Caution | Keep out of harm's way, keep out of troubled waters; keep at a respectful distance, stand aloof; keep on the safe side, be on the safe side. |
Continuance in action | Verb: continue, persist; go on, jog on, keep on, run on, hold on; abide, keep, pursue, stick to its course, take its course, maintain its course; carry on, keep up. |
Sustain, uphold, hold up, keep on foot; follow up, perpetuate; maintain; preserve; a; harp upon; (repeat). | |
Disuse | Verb: not use; do without, dispense with, let alone, not touch, forbear, abstain, spare, waive, neglect; keep back, reserve. lay up, lay by, lay on the shelf, keep on the shelf,lay up in ordinary; lay up in a napkin; shelve; set aside, put aside, lay aside; disuse, leave off, have done with; supersede; discard; (eject); dismiss, give warning. |
Frequency | Verb: recur; do nothing but; keep, keep on. |
Health | Keep body and soul together, keep on one's legs; enjoy good health, enjoy a good state of health; have a clean bill of health. |
Perseverance | Verb: persevere, persist; hold on, hold out; die in the last ditch, be in at the death; stick to, cling to, adhere to; stick to one's text, keep on; keep to one's course, keep to one's ground, maintain one's course, maintain one's ground; go all lengths, go through fire and water; bear up, keep up, hold up; plod; stick to work; (work); continue; follow up; die in harness, die at one's post. |
Preparation | Guard against, make sure against; forearm, make sure, prepare for the evil day, have a rod in pickle, provide against a rainy day, feather one's nest; lay in provisions; make investments; keep on foot. |
Preservation | Verb: preserve, maintain, keep, sustain, support, hold; keep up, keep alive; refrigerate, keep on ice;not willingly let die; bank up; nurse; save, rescue; be safe, make safe; take care of; (care); guard; (defend). |
Provision | Have in store, have in reserve; keep, keep by one, keep on foot, keep on hand; have to fall back upon; store; provide against a rainy day; (economy). |
Support | Maintain, keep on foot; aid. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Keep On |
| English words defined with "keep on": To keep in with. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "keep on": Combat, control-O ♦ grind crank ♦ Pegging Away ♦ required reserves. (references) |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | You just gotta keep on livin', man (Dazed and Confused; writing credit: Richard Linklater) Are the fires of hell a-glowing? Yes, the danger must be growing 'cause the rowers keep on rowing (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory; writing credit: Roald Dahl) And the hits just keep on coming (A Few Good Men; writing credit: Aaron Sorkin) And I tried to endure that as long as I possibly could, you see. Just want me to keep on talking, don't you (Klute; writing credit: Andy Lewis; Dave Lewis) You'll have to keep on your toes every minute (Catch-22; writing credit: Buck Henry) | |
Lyrics | Grown men keep on cryin get mo' tissue (If I Could Go; performing artist: Angie Martinez) Keep on tryin' just a little bit ("Respect"; performing artist: Aretha Franklin) You keep on passin' me by (Hottie; performing artist: Ashley Ballard) Oh you just keep on using me until you use me up (Use Me; performing artist: Bill Withers) Proud Mary keep on burnin' ("Proud Mary"; performing artist: Creedence Clearwater Revival) | |
Clever | My aim is that when my hands will work no longer, that the works of my hands will still continue to keep on working. (references; author: unknown) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Keep on 'Rockin (1969) The Jewish Gospel Singer Keep on Walking: Joshua Nelson (2000) Garth Brooks: And the Hits Just Keep On Comin' (1995) Keep on Running (1990) | |
Song Titles | Keep On Loving You (performing artist: REO Speedwagon) Keep On Dancing (performing artist: The Gentrys) Keep On Pushing (performing artist: The Impressions) Keep On Smilin' (performing artist: Wet Willie) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books |
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Theater & Movies | |||
Music |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
![]() | O.K., if you both want to keep on eating that indigestible stuff!. Credit: Library of Congress. | ![]() | Keep on truckin' --. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
| Author | Quotation |
Author Unknown | The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on running. |
Heinrich Heine | While we are indifferent to our good qualities, we keep on deceiving ourselves in regard to our faults, until we come to look on them as virtues. |
Robert Louis Stevenson | The saints are the sinners who keep on going. |
W. Clement Stone | Try, try, try, and keep on trying is the rule that must be followed to become an expert in anything. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Title | Author | Quote |
A Grief Observed | C.S. Lewis | Part of every misery is, so to speak, the misery's shadow or reflection: the fact that you don't merely suffer but have to keep on thinking about the fact that you suffer |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | The wind is blowing, that dark ship must keep on her destined course |
Grapes of Wrath | Steinbeck, John | Maybe we better keep on the back roads |
Walden | Thoreau, Henry David | Keep on your own track, then |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Business | Demand in the apparel market is correlated with GDP and currently Argentina is experiencing a recession, thus general demand is down. However, unofficial appraisals for future growth prospects show that exports would keep on increasing and that imports could moderately rise during 2000 and gradually regain the previous year’s import levels. (references) | |
Economic History | Bahrain | On June 20, 2001 the commercial companies law No. 28 of 1975 was amended by legislative Decree No. 21 for 2001. The law, made up of 382 clauses, will streamline moves already taken by Bahrain when it joined the GATT agreement and enable it to keep on top of the challenges and changes which are having global effects under the World Trade Organization. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
Lyndon B. Johnson | 1963-1969 | So let us keep on improving the quality of life and enlarging the meaning of justice for all of our fellow Americans. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Expressions using "keep on": keep on an even keel ♦ keep on and on at ♦ keep on at ♦ keep on doing ♦ keep on foot ♦ keep on good terms with ♦ keep on hand ♦ keep on ice ♦ keep on talking ♦ keep on the alert ♦ keep on the right side of ♦ keep on the safe side ♦ To keep on. Additional references. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day |
keep on truckin | 51 |
keep on loving you | 28 |
keep on dancing | 24 |
keep on trucking | 20 |
keep on rollin | 14 |
keep on movin | 8 |
keep on lovin | 7 |
keep on running | 6 |
keep on the borderland | 5 |
keep on pushing | 3 |
keep on smilin | 3 |
keep on rockin | 3 |
john lennon sweet toronto keep on rockin | 2 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "keep on"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Albanian | vazhdoj (carry on, carry over, continue, extend, go ahead, go on, hold on, hold over, keep, maintain, pick up, press on, proceed, prosecute, pursue, push on, run, spread), mbaj (attach, Bate, bear, breed, carry, deduct, enshrine, force upon, get off, give, have, have smth. on, hold, keep, maintain, man, perform, pitch, preserve, refrain, respect, retain, save, support, sustain, wear, withhold). (various references) | |
Arabic | لزم (enjoin, hold, stick to), تابع في, إستمر (continue, drive up, endure, get back, get going, get on, go ahead, go in, go on, hold, hold on, keep, keep going, last, persist, run on smth., sew on, subsist, take, wear out). (various references) | |
Breton | kendalc'hit. (various references) | |
Bulgarian | продължавам (carry on, continue, extend, go ahead, go on, keep, last, lengthen, proceed, produce, prolong, prosecute, protract, push on, reach, resume, spread, stretch). (various references) | |
Chinese | 百折不'" (be indomitable, be undaunted by repeated setbacks, keep on fighting in spite of all setbacks). (various references) | |
Czech | pokraèovat (carry on, continue, get on, get on with, go, go on, hold, proceed, take up), nechat si na sobì. (various references) | |
Danish | vare (continue, endure, last). (various references) | |
Dutch | voortduren (continue, endure, last), standhouden (confront, continue, endure, last, stand up to, withstand), duren (continue, endure, last), beklýven (continue, endure, last), aanhouden (adjourn, arrest, continue, delay, endure, halt, hold, hold in abeyance, keep ... burning, last, persevere, persist, postpone, procrastinate, pursue one's point, stop). (various references) | |
Esperanto | daŭri (continue, endure, last). (various references) | |
Faeroese | vara (commodity, continue, endure, last, merchandise, wares). (various references) | |
Finnish | kestää (bear, continue, endure, last, stand, suffer, undergo, wear, withstand), jatkaa (add a piece to, carry on, continue, extend, go on, join, lengthen, proceed, proceed with, resume, scarf). (various references) | |
French | durer, continuer (keep, keep going, keep the ball rolling). (various references) | |
Frisian | duorje (continue, endure, last). (various references) | |
German | anbehalten (leave on). (various references) | |
Greek | εξακολουθώ (carry on, continue, go on, keep, persist). (various references) | |
Hebrew | ל"משיך לעשות (keep, run on). (various references) | |
Hungarian | kitart (hold on, insist, last out, persevere, to carry on, to hang in there, to hold on, to hold out, to hold to, to last, to last out, to maintain one's point, to persist in, to stick by), továbbcsinálja, tart (bore, borne, continue, endure, head for, hold, keep, last, make for, sustain, tend, to bear, to check, to cultivate, to hold out, to keep back, to keep off, to make for, to regard, to support, to sustain, trend, uphold). (various references) | |
Indonesian | mewaspadai (keep on guard against), berganti-ganti (by turns, keep on changing, take turns). (various references) | |
Italian | proseguire (carry on, continue, go on, prosecute, pursue), durare (clamp, continue, endure, go on, halt, hold, hold out, keep, last, persist, stand, survive, uphold, wear), continuare (continue, go, go on, hold, keep, last, pick up, ply, press on, proceed, proceed with, prosecute, push on, stand). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 続ける (to continue, to keep on, to keep up). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | たちづめ (keep on standing), つづける (to continue, to keep on, to keep up). (various references) | |
Manx | faagail (abandon, bequeath, depart, descend, disembark, ditch, flitting, forsake, give up, hand down, leave, leaving, maroon, outgoing, quit, quitting, relinquish, retire, season; vacating, seasoning, strand, throw over). (various references) | |
Papiamen | dura (continue, endure, last). (various references) | |
Pig Latin | eepkay onay.(various references) | |
Polish | trwać (continue, endure, last). (various references) | |
Portuguese | continuar (abide, carry on, continue, endure, go ahead, go along, go on, hold on, keep, last, lengthen, maintain, proceed, proceed with, progress, prolong, prosecute, run, stay). (various references) | |
Romanian | nu se opri, nu scoate, menţine (abide by, continue, keep, maintain, remain, retain), continua (bide, carry on, carry through, continue, follow, go on, hold, keep, keep it up, keep up, last, persist, play off, proceed, prosecute, pursue, resume). (various references) | |
Russian | продолжать (carry on, continue, continue in, continue to, continue with, follow up, go ahead, go on, keep to, porceeded, proceed, prolong). (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | zadržati nešto u postojećem stanju, nastaviti (carry forward, carry on, continue, follow up, get on with, go ahead, go on, keep up, move along, move on). (various references) | |
Slovene | naprej (further). (various references) | |
Spanish | durar (continue, endure, hold out, hold up, last, last out, linger, live out), continuar (carry on, continue, drag on, endure, get along with smth., go on, hold, keep, keep up, last, last out, proceed with, pursue, push on, remain, resume, sustain). (various references) | |
Swedish | inte ta av sig, fortsätta (carry on, come on, continue, go on, keep, keep going, move on, pass on, persevere, persist, proceed, proceeding, take up), behålla på. (various references) | |
Turkish | sürdürmek (carry on, continue, elongate, follow, go ahead with smth., keep, keep going, keep the ball rolling, keep up, lead, maintain, perpetuate, persist, prolong, prosecute, pursue, remain, support, sustain, uphold, wage), devam etmek (attend, carry forward, carry over, continue, draw, endure, follow on, get along, go ahead, go ahead with smth., go along, go on, hang over, hold, keep at, keep going, keep up, last, pass on, persist, proceed, progress, prosecute, pursue, push, run on, stand, stand to), çalıştırmaya devam etmek, çıkarmamak (leave on, shut in). (various references) | |
Ukrainian | продовжувати (carry, carry on, continue, elongate, go ahead, go along, go on, proceed, produce, prolong, prolongate, prosecute, protract, pursue, resume). (various references) | |
Zulu | -qhubeka (continue, endure, last). (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | continuo. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Language | Date | Source | 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5, Verse 17 |
| Greek (transliterated) | 250 BC | Septuagint | AdialeiptwV proseucesqe |
| Latin | 405 | Vulgate | Sine intermissione orate |
| Old English | 990 | West Saxon | Gebiddað eow æfre; |
| Middle English | 1395 | Wyclif | In alle thingis do ye thankyngis. |
| Renaissance English | 1526 | Tyndale | Praye cotinually. |
| Jacobean English | 1611 | King James | Pray without ceasing. |
| Victorian English | 1833 | Webster | Pray without ceasing. |
| Basic English | 1964 | Ogden | Keep on with your prayers. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5, Verse 17 |
| Bulgarian | Братя, молете се за нас. |
| Cebuano | pag-ampo kamo sa walay paghunong, |
| Chinese | 不 住 的 禱 告 . |
| Croatian | Bez prestanka se molite! |
| Danish | beder uafladelig, |
| Dutch | Bidt zonder ophouden. |
| Finnish | Rukoilkaa lakkaamatta. |
| French | Priez sans cesse. |
| German | betet ohne Unterlaß, |
| Haitian Creole | Pa janm sispann lapriyè. |
| Hungarian | Szüntelen imádkozzatok. |
| Indonesian-Bahasa Sehari-hari | dan berdoalah senantiasa. |
| Indonesian-Terjemahan Lama | dan berdoa dengan tiada berkeputusan; |
| Italian | pregate incessantemente, |
| Latvian | Lûdziet Dievu bez mitçðanâs! |
| Maori | Kei whakamutua te inoi. |
| Norwegian | bed uavlatelig, |
| Portuguese | Orai sem cessar. |
| Rumanian | Rugayi-vq nekncetat. |
| Russian | оЕ ТЕУФБООП НПМЙФЕУШ. |
| Shuar | Tuke tsawant iniaitsuk Yus áujsatarum. |
| Spanish | Orad sin cesar. |
| Swahili | salini kila wakati |
| Swedish | Bedjen oavlåtligen. |
| Ukrainian | Безперестанку моліться! |
| Uma | tida mosampaya, |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "e-e-k-n-o-p" | |
-1 letter: pekoe. | |
-2 letters: keen, keep, keno, knee, knop, neep, nope, open, peek, peen, peke, peon, poke, pone. | |
-3 letters: eke, eon, ken, kep, kop, nee, oke, one, ope, pee, pen. | |
-4 letters: en, ne, no, oe, on, op, pe. | |
| Words containing the letters "e-e-k-n-o-p" | |
+2 letters: bespoken, respoken. | |
+3 letters: kinescope, spokesmen. | |
+4 letters: forespoken, kinescoped, kinescopes, leukopenia, leukopenic, nonspeaker, outkeeping, pokinesses. | |
+5 letters: bookkeeping, kinetoscope, leukopenias, nonspeakers, phoenixlike, pocketknife, spokeswomen. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Photo Album 7. Quotations: Familiar 8. Quotations: Fiction | 9. Quotations: Non-fiction 10. Quotations: Speeches 11. Expressions 12. Expressions: Internet | 13. Translations: Modern 14. Translations: Ancient 15. Bible Trace 16. Anagrams | 17. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.