Definition of keep after

keep afterphrasal verb

giữ lại sau

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The phrase "keep after" is an idiom that indicates constant pursuit, persistence, or pressure towards someone or something. Its origin can be traced back to the Old English verb "cybian," which means "to pursue" or "to hunt." In Middle English, "kypen" replaced "cybian," and it signified both "to hunt" and "to chase after." Over time, "keepen" or "kepen" derived from "kypen," and it originally referred to maintaining something or someone, such as livestock or prisoners. The meaning of "keepen" evolved during the 16th century, where it began to mean "to deal with" or "to manage" someone or something. This alteration, coupled with the sense of urgency conveyed by "after," resulted in the phrase "keep after" taking on the current connotation of continuous effort, action, or persistence. In summary, "keep after" originated from the Old English verb "cybian" meaning "to pursue" or "to hunt," which morphed into Middle English's "kypen" and subsequently "keepen" in Early Modern English, signifying "to manage" or "to deal with." Finally, the phrase "keep after" developed from a combination of these terms' semantic shifts.

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Example:
  • He keeps forgetting to return my calls, which is frustrating.

    Anh ấy cứ quên gọi lại cho tôi, điều này thật bực mình.

  • She keeps telling me the same story over and over again.

    Cô ấy cứ kể đi kể lại cho tôi nghe cùng một câu chuyện.

  • We had to keep the house quiet during the exams to avoid disturbing our neighbors.

    Chúng tôi phải giữ yên tĩnh trong nhà trong thời gian thi cử để tránh làm phiền hàng xóm.

  • The business keeps losing money due to the current economic downturn.

    Doanh nghiệp liên tục thua lỗ do tình hình kinh tế suy thoái hiện nay.

  • I like to keep a clean and organized space to work in.

    Tôi thích giữ không gian làm việc sạch sẽ và ngăn nắp.

  • The athlete keeps pushing herself to break more records.

    Vận động viên này không ngừng nỗ lực để phá vỡ nhiều kỷ lục hơn.

  • She keeps forgetting to bring her glasses with her and asks for help reading.

    Cô ấy cứ quên mang theo kính và phải nhờ người khác đọc giúp.

  • They keep promising to fix the broken elevator, but it never seems to happen.

    Họ liên tục hứa sẽ sửa thang máy bị hỏng, nhưng có vẻ như điều đó không bao giờ xảy ra.

  • He keeps asking me to reschedule our meeting, but I'm committed to our original plan.

    Anh ấy liên tục yêu cầu tôi đổi lịch họp, nhưng tôi vẫn giữ nguyên kế hoạch ban đầu.

  • We keep the rate of inflation in check by implementing wise financial policies.

    Chúng tôi kiểm soát tỷ lệ lạm phát bằng cách thực hiện các chính sách tài chính khôn ngoan.