Synonyms

kept

American

[kept] / kɛpt /

verb

simple past tense and past participle of keep.

adjective

having the expression of principles, ideas, etc., controlled, dominated, or determined by one whose money provides support.

a kept press;
a kept writer.

kept British

/ kɛpt /

verb

the past tense and past participle of keep
pejorative a woman maintained by a man as his mistress

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

unkept adjective
well-kept adjective

Etymology

Origin of kept

First recorded in 1670–80 kept for def. 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Despite the low temperatures, Roche said the work kept the team warm.

From BBC

Labor disputes aren’t uncommon in ski towns; patrollers at Utah’s Park City Mountain walked out a year earlier, but Vail Resorts kept it open.

From The Wall Street Journal

Iran kept hostile forces away from its soil for decades after the 1980-1988 war with Iraq—which killed hundreds of thousands of Iranians, including from chemical weapons deployed by Saddam Hussein.

From The Wall Street Journal

To think Newcastle kept five clean sheets in their opening seven league fixtures.

From BBC

Rosé kept it simple of the carpet tonight, complimenting her ice blonde hair with a simple black bow dress.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023