earn one's keep

verb

To perform satisfactory physical labor or to provide other worthy services in return for remuneration, lodging, or other benefits; to support oneself financially.

Similar
earn one's cornearn one's crustcarry one's weightbring home the baconearn a livingkeep the home fires burningput bread on the tableput food on the table
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Meanings

verbearn one's keep (third-person singular simple present earns one's keep, present participle earning one's keep, simple past and past participle earned one's keep or earnt one's keep)

present singular third person earns one's keep · participle present earning one's keep · participle past earned one's keep · past earned one's keep · participle past earnt one's keep · past earnt one's keep

  1. idiomaticTo perform satisfactory physical labor or to provide other worthy services in return for remuneration, lodging, or other benefits; to support oneself financially.

    Being a very strong, active man, with gift of versatile hand and brain, and early acquaintance with handicrafts, Christopher Bert could earn his keep.

    1880, R. D. Blackmore, chapter 41, in Mary Anerley: A Yorkshire Tale
    1 more example

    Klee also left home to make his name, moving in his late teens to Munich, where he studied art, earned his keep as a musician and, in 1906, married Lily Stumpf.

    2005 July 1, Alan Riding, “A Curvy Klee Museum, Sprouting From the Swiss Hills”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

    Synonyms: earn one's corn, earn one's crust, carry one's weight, bring home the bacon, carry one's weight, earn a living, earn one's corn, earn one's crust

  2. figurativelyTo be worthwhile.

    The lack of bottom-end grunt presents as a particular problem in hilly terrain where the five-speed manual gearbox really earns its keep.

    2021 February 28, The Road Ahead, Brisbane, page 55, column 2

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo perform satisfactory physical labor or to provide other worthy services in return for remuneration, lodging, or other benefits; to support oneself financially.

Similar
earn one's cornearn one's crustcarry one's weightbring home the baconcarry one's weightearn a livingearn one's cornearn one's crustkeep the home fires burningput bread on the tableput food on the table
Also see
bring home the baconearn one's cornearn one's crustmake a livingput food on the table

Translations

Finnish tienata leipänsä
  • tienata leipänsäto perform physical labor or to provide services for remuneration, lodging, etc.
German sich seinen Platz / sein Bett / sein Essen verdienen, seine Schuld abarbeiten
  • sich seinen Platz / sein Bett / sein Essen verdienento perform physical labor or to provide services for remuneration, lodging, etc.
  • seine Schuld abarbeitento perform physical labor or to provide services for remuneration, lodging, etc.
  • für Kost und Logis arbeitento perform physical labor or to provide services for remuneration, lodging, etc.
  • sich seinen Lebensunterhalt verdienento perform physical labor or to provide services for remuneration, lodging, etc.
  • sein Auskommen habento perform physical labor or to provide services for remuneration, lodging, etc.
  • lohnento be worthwhile
Polish pracować w zamian za wyżywienie i nocleg, opłacać się
  • pracować w zamian za wyżywienie i noclegto perform physical labor or to provide services for remuneration, lodging, etc.
  • opłacać sięto be worthwhile
  • opłacić sięto be worthwhile
Cite this entry
APA

earn one's keep. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/earn%20one's%20keep

MLA

“earn one's keep.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/earn%20one's%20keep. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “earn one's keep,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/earn%20one's%20keep.

Source: earn one's keep on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.