keep from (doing something)
keep from (doing something)
1. To resist, refrain from, or avoid doing something. I know I shouldn't spend my money so frivolously, but I just can't keep from buying these fancy gadgets. She felt guilty that she had kept from telling him the truth of the matter.
2. To prevent or dissuade someone or some group from doing something. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "keep" and "from." My parents tried to keep me from seeing Jeremy, so we decided to elope to Alaska. These regulations are in place to keep large companies from exploiting their employees.
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Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
keep someone from someone or something
to hold someone away from someone or something; to prevent someone from getting at someone or something. You must keep the child from her mother until the mother is infection-free. It is hard to keep a child from the playground, even a sick child. I could hardly keep myself from the dessert table.
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keep something from someone
not to tell something to someone. Why did you keep the news from me? I needed to know. This matter shouldn't have been kept from me.
See also: keep
keep from something
to avoid doing something; to refrain from doing something. How could I keep from crying? It was so sad! Try to keep from falling off the ladder.
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keep someone or something from doing something
to prevent someone or something from doing something. Would you please keep your dog from digging in my garden? Her lack of a degree kept her from advancing.
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keep someone from doing something
to prevent someone from doing something. til I kept the child from falling in the lake by grabbing his collar. I try to keep myself from overeating, but I seem to fail frequently.
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McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
keep from
1. Withhold; also, prevent. For example, What information are you keeping from me? or Please keep your dog from running through our garden. [c. 1340]
2. Restrain oneself, hold oneself back, as in I can hardly keep from laughing. [c. 1340]
See also: keep
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
keep from
v.
1. To prevent someone or something from doing something: The tape is there to keep the pages from falling apart. This constant noise is keeping me from my work.
2. To refrain from doing something: I couldn't keep from having a little snack before dinner.
3. To prevent some information from becoming known by someone or something: They kept the news of the accident from the newspapers.
See also: keep
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
- keep from
- keep from doing
- have more money than sense
- throw (one's) money about
- throw (one's) money around
- throw your money about/around
- spend money like a drunken sailor
- blow it all
- piss money up the wall
- fancy (one's) chances