Antonyms for keep down


Grammar : Verb
Spell : keep
Phonetic Transcription : kip


Definition of keep down

Origin :
  • late Old English cepan "to seize, hold," also "to observe," from Proto-Germanic *kopijanan, but with no certain connection to other languages. It possibly is related to Old English capian "to look," from Proto-Germanic *kap- (cepan was used c.1000 to render Latin observare), which would make the basic sense "to keep an eye on."
  • The word prob. belongs primarily to the vulgar and non-literary stratum of the language; but it comes up suddenly into literary use c.1000, and that in many senses, indicating considerable previous development. [OED]
  • Sense of "preserve, maintain" is from mid-14c. Meaning "to maintain in proper order" is from 1550s; meaning "financially support and privately control" (usually in reference to mistresses) is from 1540s. Related: Kept; keeping.
  • As in mute : verb muffle, tone down sound
  • As in oppress : verb depress, subdue
  • As in restrain : verb keep under control; hold back
  • As in silence : verb make or be quiet
  • As in quieten : verb silence
  • As in shush : verb silence
Example sentences :
  • Meantime she tried to keep down her anxiety by keeping up her anger.
  • Extract from : « The Eternal City » by Hall Caine
  • But I'm fightin' hard to keep down my old salt-water temper.
  • Extract from : « Keziah Coffin » by Joseph C. Lincoln
  • Before sweeping the shop dampen the floor to keep down the dust.
  • Extract from : « The Automobile Storage Battery » by O. A. Witte
  • He paused, trying to keep down his rising anger, and failed.
  • Extract from : « Almayer's Folly » by Joseph Conrad
  • Ross found it hard to keep down his temper at this discourtesy.
  • Extract from : « The Boy with the U. S. Weather Men » by Francis William Rolt-Wheeler
  • One would expect the giants of the deep to keep down their population.
  • Extract from : « Angling Sketches » by Andrew Lang
  • All the pumps in the ship would not keep down such a leak as this.
  • Extract from : « A Final Reckoning » by G. A. Henty
  • The floor of the plant had recently been oiled to keep down dust.
  • Extract from : « The Ambulance Made Two Trips » by William Fitzgerald Jenkins
  • Those unemployed are the men who keep down the wages of the workers.
  • Extract from : « The Sequel » by George A. Taylor
  • We can keep down behind the shelter of the pile, till we have got most of them out.
  • Extract from : « On the Irrawaddy » by G. A. Henty

Synonyms for keep down

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019