English Meaning & Definitions
To remain at a distance from someone or something, or to prevent someone or something from approaching.
- “Please keep away from the edge of the cliff.”
- “The fence was built to keep away wild animals.”
A game, often played with a ball, in which one person or group tries to prevent others from gaining possession of the object.
- “The children played a quick game of keep away during recess.”
- “We practiced our passing skills by playing keep away in the park.”
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “keep away”.
The phrase combines the Old English 'cēpan' (to hold, observe, or guard) with the Old English 'onweg' (on the way, away). It evolved from the literal sense of physically holding something at a distance to a broader idiomatic usage describing the act of preventing contact or approach.
Imagine a 'Keep Out' sign on a gate; you are keeping the danger 'away' from you.
Frequently Asked Questions About “keep away”
1. What is the meaning of “keep away” in English?
In English, keep away (verb) is defined as: “To remain at a distance from someone or something, or to prevent someone or something from approaching.”.
2. How do you use “keep away” in a sentence?
“Please keep away from the edge of the cliff.”
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “keep away”?
The phrase combines the Old English 'cēpan' (to hold, observe, or guard) with the Old English 'onweg' (on the way, away). It evolved from the literal sense of physically holding something at a distance to a broader idiomatic usage describing the act of preventing contact or approach.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →A measurement of time indicating an instantaneous occurrence or a state where no time has elapsed.
The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.