kept

kept · verb

imported

Definitions

verb

  1. 1.

    Past tense and past participle of "keep"; retained possession of.

  2. 2.

    Continued in a specified condition or activity.

  3. 3.

    Honored or fulfilled.

  4. 4.

    Provided for the sustenance of.

  5. 5.

    (as adjective) Maintained or supported by someone.

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    well-kept secret — something successfully hidden
  • •
    kept man/woman — someone financially maintained by a lover
  • •
    kept up — maintained; continued at the same level

Related words

Antonyms: discarded, lost
See also: hold, keep, maintain, retain
Synonyms: held, maintained, retained

Etymology

Past tense of "keep," from Old English "cēpan." The vowel change from "keep" to "kept" is a remnant of the strong verb pattern in Old English, though the word has otherwise regularized.