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Glite Dictionary
to keep one's head

to keep one's head

4.6
Stay calm and think clearly in a difficult or dangerous situation
  • idiom
translation icon : mantener la calma
  • In stressful situations, it's important to keep your head and make wise decisions.

Examples

  • You need to keep your head clear and stay sharp.

    Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

  • She managed to keep her head during the emergency, helping others stay calm.

  • You'll make it, so long as you keep your head.

    Saw X (2023)

  • I'm gonna say something here, and uh, I don't want you to take it the wrong way or nothing, but I don't trust you to keep your head while I'm gone.

    Gold (2022)

  • To succeed in tough times, you must keep your head and focus on solutions.

Synonyms

to stay in control
vsto keep one's head
  • US
264 3.7

Keep power over a situation and stay calm

leans more toward inner calm and clear thinking rather than external authority
to hold it together
vsto keep one's head
  • Informal
61 5.6

Stay calm and control your feelings in a difficult situation

emphasizes clear, calm thinking under pressure rather than only preserving self control
to keep one's cool
vsto keep one's head
  • Informal
30 3.4

Stay calm and control your feelings when things are hard

adds clear, calm thought under pressure rather than only emotion control
to keep it together
vsto keep one's head
  • Informal
27 5.4

To stay calm and control your feelings in a difficult situation

also preserves clear thinking under stress rather than just controlling feelings
to play it cool
vsto keep one's head
  • Informal
27 4.5

Act calm and relaxed to hide nervousness

puts more weight on clear thinking under pressure than on calm performance
to get one's head straight
vsto keep one's head
  • Informal
6 7.0

To calm your mind and think clearly

focuses on staying clear and calm while under pressure rather than recovery later
to get one's head together
vsto keep one's head
  • Informal
5 7.7

Put your thoughts and feelings in order after a time of confusion

implies calm, clear thinking during a difficult moment rather than fixing things afterward
to keep a cool head
vsto keep one's head
3 3.9

Stay calm and not get angry or excited in a difficult situation

focuses on staying calm while also thinking clearly under danger
to clear one's head
vsto keep one's head
1 3.9

To stop thinking about upsetting or confusing thoughts to feel calmer

is about staying calm and thinking well during danger rather than afterward
to keep one's temper
vsto keep one's head
1 4.4

Stay calm and not get angry in a difficult situation

includes calm thinking and clarity under pressure, not only anger control
to use one's head
vsto keep one's head
  • Informal
3.7

To think carefully and act sensibly

adds the element of remaining calm under pressure, not only careful thought

Antonyms

to freak out
  • Informal
430 6.8

To become very upset or afraid suddenly and lose control

to panic
272 2.3

To feel sudden fear and lose the ability to think or act calmly

How Calm

to hold it together
  • Informal
61 5.6
to keep one's head
4.6
to keep one's cool
  • Informal
30 3.4

Surface Forms

keep one's head infinitive
keeping one's head present participle
keeps one's head third person singular
kept one's head past
kept one's head past participle

Morphology

keep + one + head

The verb 'keep' (retain) combined with 'one's head' uses a common metaphor (head = mind/composure), so learners who know the words can often infer the sense 'retain your composure.' However, the meaning is figurative rather than strictly compositional, so while partly predictable and supported cross-linguistically (e.g. 'garder la tête froide'), it is not fully literal and is best classified as partially transparent.

Etymology

Keep one's head comes from the image of holding on to your head instead of 'losing your head' in a scary or dangerous moment, so you can still think clearly and act. That's why it means 'to remain calm and think clearly'.