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to keep it real

to keep it real

34 8.3
Stay honest and true to yourself
  • phrasal verb
  • Slang
translation icon : ser auténtico
  • It's important to keep it real with your friends and always be honest with them.
  • just keep it real
  • try to keep it real
  • let's keep it real

But we was just keeping it real and authentic and organic.

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Examples

  • Happiness is something you just can't fake, so let's keep it real and take a break.

  • Can you just keep it real with me, woman to woman?

    Blog text (33)
  • Thanks for keeping it real on the show and on here.

  • So, so if we're keeping it real here, we have two broken people.

  • - They loved that she kept it real.

  • You gotta keep it real.

  • Wow, you always keep it real, and that is what we need.

    Blog text (2)
  • I salute you for sticking it out there and keeping it real.

    Blog text (18)
  • Thanks for putting it into perspective for me and reminding me to 'keep it real.'

    Blog text (2)
  • The challenge with narcissistic relationships, whether you stay in them or whether you leave them, is that you've got to keep it real with yourself.

Synonyms

to be oneself
vsto keep it real
4 2.8

To act naturally and honestly without pretending to be someone else

emphasizes honesty and avoiding pretence rather than merely acting naturally
to keep it one hundred
vsto keep it real
  • Slang
9.7

To be completely honest and direct with someone

focuses on being genuine and avoiding pretence rather than total honesty

Antonyms

2.3

To act as if something is true when it is not

How Genuine

to keep it real
  • Slang
34 8.3
to pretend
2.3

Surface Forms

keep it real infinitive

Morphology

keep + it + real

The meaning is directly derivable from 'keep' (maintain) + 'real' (genuine), with 'it' functioning as a general pronoun referring to one's behavior or attitude; the phrase literally means 'maintain genuineness'. This construction follows a common 'keep + X + adjective' pattern (e.g. 'keep it simple') that is cross-linguistically plausible, so a B1 learner who knows the parts should be able to infer the meaning.

Etymology

Keep it real uses a simple image: to keep something is to hold or protect it, and real means true or honest. It comes from music and street talk where people told each other to stay genuine, so today it means 'to remain honest and true to yourself'.