keep away

verb

To refrain from coming (near).

“I'm keeping away from Joe until he calms down.”

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Meanings

verbkeep away (third-person singular simple present keeps away, present participle keeping away, simple past and past participle kept away)

present singular third person keeps away · participle present keeping away · participle past kept away · past kept away

  1. intransitiveTo refrain from coming (near).

    I'm keeping away from Joe until he calms down.

  2. transitiveTo prevent from coming (near).

    Keep your children away from the construction site: it's dangerous!

    1 more example

    The burnt and bleeding man staggered to his feet, dazed and unbelieving, and asked the startled townspeople who came running whether his fireman and guard were safe. He was kept away from the smouldering crater where his engine had been, and taken to hospital.

    2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 948, page 43

Translations

Bulgarian държа далеч от
  • държа далеч от (dărža daleč ot)to refrain from coming (near)
German fernhalten
  • fernhaltento refrain from coming (near)
Latin abhibeo, abarceo
  • abhibeoto refrain from coming (near)
  • abarceoto prevent from coming (near)
Māori whakamatara
  • whakamatarato refrain from coming (near)
Turkish uzak durmak, uzak tutmak
  • uzak durmakto refrain from coming (near)
  • uzak tutmakto prevent from coming (near)
Cite this entry
APA

keep away. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keep%20away

MLA

“keep away.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keep%20away. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “keep away,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keep%20away.

Source: keep away on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.