kept

1 1.8

A promise or agreement that someone does not break

adjective
/kɛpt/

: cumplido

The agreement was kept in good faith.

Examples

He always kept his promises, showing that he was a trustworthy friend.
The peace treaty was a kept agreement for over ten years.
A kept contract builds trust between business partners.
She always valued a kept promise more than empty words.
She has always kept her promises.
The club has maintained its reputation as the best-kept secret in the city.
She felt secure knowing that the agreement they made was kept in good faith.

Synonyms

unbroken

vskept

Formal

1 4.0

Kept as agreed over a period of time

focuses on meeting obligations fully rather than ongoing continuity

Antonyms

broken

37 2.4

Not kept or not done as promised

Compounds

well-kept

21 1.8

Neat and in good condition because someone looks after it

best-kept secret

11 4.5

A place or thing only a few people know about that is especially good

worst-kept secret

Informal

3 3.4

A fact many people know although others try to keep it hidden

kept woman

NSFW

3 8.4

A woman who a lover pays for, often when he is married to someone else

kept man

Slang

2 8.4

A man who depends on a woman for money while they have a romantic relationship

kept up

1 3.0

People take care of it so it stays in good condition

How Kept

kept

1 1.8

unfulfilled

6 4.4

broken

37 2.4

Surface Forms

kept positive

Morphology

kept = keep (semi-transparent) = keep + ed

This is the past participial form of 'keep', but the irregular spelling change from 'keep' to 'kept' can make the form slightly less transparent for learners.

Etymology

Kept comes from the old verb keep, which meant 'to hold' or 'to guard'. So a kept promise or contract is like something you 'held' safely — you did what you agreed to do.