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to keep quiet

to keep quiet

90 2.5
To say nothing or not tell a secret
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : guardar silencio
  • The teacher asked us to keep quiet while the test was being administered.

I just kept quiet and I let it fizzle away.

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Examples

  • You need to keep quiet during the movie so others can enjoy it.

  • I decided to keep quiet because I know he doesn't have a good view of me.

  • You will keep quiet and never talk to the other girls.

  • Use the shop at night, and keep quiet.

  • But you have got to keep quiet.

  • Do yourself a favor and keep quiet.

  • So her father offered her ten dollars if she could keep quiet for a week.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • "If she says anything about it, just keep quiet and let me do the talking," she told them.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The soldiers who knew what had happened kept quiet out of fear.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • We cannot keep quiet about climate injustice.

Synonyms

to be quiet
vsto keep quiet
231 1.0

To stop making noise or talking

focuses more on not revealing information as well as simple silence
to keep one's mouth shut
vsto keep quiet
  • Informal
116 5.6

To say nothing to avoid trouble or keep a secret

is the neutral, polite way to stay silent or not tell facts
to keep a secret
vsto keep quiet
76 2.6

To not tell anyone private information

emphasizes silence in general, not only protecting particular confidential facts
to hush
vsto keep quiet
33 3.4

Make a person or thing quiet so others stop making noise

means choosing silence oneself or withholding facts instead of making others stop
mum's the word
vsto keep quiet
  • Informal
5 8.2

Keep quiet about a secret

is the ordinary phrase used to stay silent or not tell things
to shut one's mouth
vsto keep quiet
  • Informal
4 4.4

To stop talking to keep a secret or when told to be quiet

is the neutral way to stay silent or not share private information
to keep mum
vsto keep quiet
  • Informal
3 7.5

Stay quiet about something private

is the general phrase for staying silent or not revealing information
to keep shtum
vsto keep quiet
  • Slang
1 9.9

To stay silent on purpose to avoid trouble

is the neutral expression for staying silent rather than explaining
to keep one's cakehole shut
vsto keep quiet
  • Offensive
9.9

Not say anything or tell other people

is the polite neutral option for remaining silent or not revealing facts
to button one's lip
vsto keep quiet
  • Informal
7.2

To keep quiet on purpose and not tell others

is the broader everyday way to remain silent or not disclose information
to zip someone's lip
vsto keep quiet
  • Informal
8.4

To keep quiet and not tell others about something

is the personal choice to stay silent rather than forcing someone else

Antonyms

1.0

To talk with someone to share thoughts or feelings

2.3

Show something that was hidden or secret

to talk
  • Informal
435 6.1

Tell secrets or private facts because of pressure

How Quiet

to keep one's mouth shut
  • Informal
116 5.6
to keep quiet
90 2.5
to be quiet
231 1.0

Surface Forms

keep quiet infinitive
keeping quiet present participle
keeps quiet third person singular
kept quiet past
kept quiet past participle

Morphology

keep + quiet

The meaning 'to remain silent or not reveal information' is directly derivable from combining 'keep' (to remain or continue) with 'quiet' (silent); the pattern 'keep + adjective' means to maintain that state. This is a common, cross-linguistic compositional pattern in English and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Keep quiet paints a simple picture: to keep someone quiet, like when you gently stop a friend from speaking so a surprise is not ruined. So, it means 'to remain silent' or 'not reveal information'.