keep up | meaning of keep up in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English | LDOCE

TLDR;

This text provides a comprehensive overview of the phrasal verb "keep up" from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English and the Longman Business Dictionary. It includes various definitions, examples of usage, related phrases, and verb conjugations.

• The primary meaning revolves around continuing an action or maintaining a certain level.
• It also covers keeping pace with others, staying informed, and maintaining appearances.
• The entry provides numerous examples to illustrate the different contexts in which "keep up" can be used.

[General Definitions and Usage of "Keep Up"]

The phrasal verb "keep up" has multiple meanings. Firstly, it means to continue doing something without stopping. It can also describe a situation that continues without changing. Another meaning is to move as quickly as someone else. "Keep up" can also mean managing to do as well as others, as well as staying informed about a particular subject. It can also mean maintaining something at its current level. Additionally, it describes when one process increases at the same rate as another. It can also refer to continuing to practise a skill. Informally, it can mean preventing someone from going to bed. Finally, it can mean maintaining a happy or confident attitude and pretending that everything is normal.

[Examples of "Keep Up" in Context]

The entry provides numerous examples of how "keep up" is used in various contexts. These include keeping up a good job, struggling to keep up with someone's pace, maintaining a constant barrage of communication, and keeping up pressure on a group. Further examples include maintaining friendships, struggling with payments, and keeping up with fashion. The examples also cover keeping up with children, demand, and the drop, as well as noise, stories, and one's spirits or strength. Finally, the examples include keeping up appearances in various situations.

["Keep Up" in Business Contexts]

In a business context, "keep up" can mean preventing something from falling to a lower level, such as keeping agricultural wages up with prices. It can also refer to continuing to make payments on time, such as mortgage repayments. Additionally, it means achieving the same rate of progress as competitors, often through technical agreements.

[Related Phrases and Exercises]

The entry lists related phrases such as "keep up with somebody," "keep up appearances," "chin up!" and "keep your pecker up". It also mentions "hold/keep your end up" and "move/change/keep up with the times". The entry also mentions vocabulary exercises to help learn synonyms, collocations and idioms, as well as grammar practice, listening and pronunciation exercises, and exam preparation.

[Verb Conjugations]

The entry provides verb conjugations for "keep" in simple and continuous forms, including present, past, present perfect, past perfect, future, and future perfect tenses.