keep down
(Redirected from keep it down)
English
[edit]Verb
[edit]keep down (third-person singular simple present keeps down, present participle keeping down, simple past and past participle kept down)
- (transitive) To repress.
- The dictatorial state keeps down its dissidents very efficiently.
- 1977, “Dreams”, in Stevie Nicks (lyrics), Fleetwood Mac (music), Rumours[1], performed by Stevie Nicks:
- Now here you go again, you say you want your freedom / Well, who am I to keep you down? / It's only right that you should play the way you feel it / But listen carefully to the sound of your loneliness
- (transitive) To restrain or control (a sound).
- We must keep the noise down, or the neighbours will complain.
- Keep it down in there! Some of us are trying to sleep!
- (transitive) To cause not to increase or rise.
- It is essential to keep the numbers down to avoid overcrowding.
- (transitive) To retain in the stomach without vomiting.
- It is difficult to keep anything down when you have the flu.
- (intransitive) To lie low; to stay concealed by not standing up.
- You had better keep down or they will see you.
- (obsolete, printing) To refrain from using capital letters more than absolutely necessary.
- Antonym: keep up
Usage notes
[edit]In all transitive senses the object may appear before or after the particle. If the object is a pronoun, then it must be before the particle.