"keep up appearances" meaning in All languages combined

See keep up appearances on Wiktionary

Verb [English]

Audio: En-au-keep up appearances.ogg Forms: keeps up appearances [present, singular, third-person], keeping up appearances [participle, present], kept up appearances [participle, past], kept up appearances [past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|keep<,,kept> up appearances|head=keep up appearances}} keep up appearances (third-person singular simple present keeps up appearances, present participle keeping up appearances, simple past and past participle kept up appearances)
  1. (idiomatic) To artificially maintain an outward sign of normality; to maintain an appearance of wealth, comfort, or propriety. Tags: idiomatic Synonyms: maintain appearances, save appearances Related terms: save face Translations (pretend to be all right): de schijn ophouden (Dutch), pitää yllä kulissia (Finnish), sauver les apparences (French), den Schein wahren (German), fenntartja a látszatot (Hungarian), mantenere le apparenze (Italian), 取り繕う (toritsukurou) (alt: とりつくろう) (Japanese), zachowywać pozory [imperfective] (Polish), zachować pozory [perfective] (Polish), де́лать хоро́шую ми́ну при плохо́й игре́ (délatʹ xoróšuju mínu pri ploxój igré) (Russian), сохраня́ть хоро́шую ми́ну при плохо́й игре́ (soxranjátʹ xoróšuju mínu pri ploxój igré) (Russian), держа́ть хоро́шую ми́ну при плохо́й игре́ (deržátʹ xoróšuju mínu pri ploxój igré) (Russian), mantener las apariencias (Spanish), guardar las formas (Spanish), salvar las apariencias (Spanish), hålla skenet uppe (Swedish)

Inflected forms

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "keeps up appearances",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "keeping up appearances",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kept up appearances",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kept up appearances",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "keep<,,kept> up appearances",
        "head": "keep up appearances"
      },
      "expansion": "keep up appearances (third-person singular simple present keeps up appearances, present participle keeping up appearances, simple past and past participle kept up appearances)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hungarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Japanese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Swedish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "For my father's sake, I thought I must keep up appearances, but the food stuck in my throat, and I could not swallow another mouthful.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "With tact and management it would be possible to partially satisfy creditors, and keep up appearances for six months more.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To artificially maintain an outward sign of normality; to maintain an appearance of wealth, comfort, or propriety."
      ],
      "id": "en-keep_up_appearances-en-verb-C75N6RQY",
      "links": [
        [
          "artificially",
          "artificially"
        ],
        [
          "maintain",
          "maintain"
        ],
        [
          "outward",
          "outward"
        ],
        [
          "sign",
          "sign"
        ],
        [
          "normality",
          "normality"
        ],
        [
          "appearance",
          "appearance"
        ],
        [
          "wealth",
          "wealth"
        ],
        [
          "comfort",
          "comfort"
        ],
        [
          "propriety",
          "propriety"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To artificially maintain an outward sign of normality; to maintain an appearance of wealth, comfort, or propriety."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "save face"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "maintain appearances"
        },
        {
          "word": "save appearances"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "pretend to be all right",
          "word": "de schijn ophouden"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "pretend to be all right",
          "word": "pitää yllä kulissia"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "pretend to be all right",
          "word": "sauver les apparences"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "pretend to be all right",
          "word": "den Schein wahren"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "pretend to be all right",
          "word": "fenntartja a látszatot"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "pretend to be all right",
          "word": "mantenere le apparenze"
        },
        {
          "alt": "とりつくろう",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "toritsukurou",
          "sense": "pretend to be all right",
          "word": "取り繕う"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "pretend to be all right",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "zachowywać pozory"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "pretend to be all right",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "zachować pozory"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "délatʹ xoróšuju mínu pri ploxój igré",
          "sense": "pretend to be all right",
          "word": "де́лать хоро́шую ми́ну при плохо́й игре́"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "soxranjátʹ xoróšuju mínu pri ploxój igré",
          "sense": "pretend to be all right",
          "word": "сохраня́ть хоро́шую ми́ну при плохо́й игре́"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "deržátʹ xoróšuju mínu pri ploxój igré",
          "sense": "pretend to be all right",
          "word": "держа́ть хоро́шую ми́ну при плохо́й игре́"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "pretend to be all right",
          "word": "mantener las apariencias"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "pretend to be all right",
          "word": "guardar las formas"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "pretend to be all right",
          "word": "salvar las apariencias"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "pretend to be all right",
          "word": "hålla skenet uppe"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-keep up appearances.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/1b/En-au-keep_up_appearances.ogg/En-au-keep_up_appearances.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/En-au-keep_up_appearances.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "keep up appearances"
}
{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "keeps up appearances",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "keeping up appearances",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kept up appearances",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kept up appearances",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "keep<,,kept> up appearances",
        "head": "keep up appearances"
      },
      "expansion": "keep up appearances (third-person singular simple present keeps up appearances, present participle keeping up appearances, simple past and past participle kept up appearances)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "save face"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English idioms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English verbs",
        "Entries with translation boxes",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "Terms with Dutch translations",
        "Terms with Finnish translations",
        "Terms with French translations",
        "Terms with German translations",
        "Terms with Hungarian translations",
        "Terms with Italian translations",
        "Terms with Japanese translations",
        "Terms with Polish translations",
        "Terms with Russian translations",
        "Terms with Spanish translations",
        "Terms with Swedish translations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "For my father's sake, I thought I must keep up appearances, but the food stuck in my throat, and I could not swallow another mouthful.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "With tact and management it would be possible to partially satisfy creditors, and keep up appearances for six months more.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To artificially maintain an outward sign of normality; to maintain an appearance of wealth, comfort, or propriety."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "artificially",
          "artificially"
        ],
        [
          "maintain",
          "maintain"
        ],
        [
          "outward",
          "outward"
        ],
        [
          "sign",
          "sign"
        ],
        [
          "normality",
          "normality"
        ],
        [
          "appearance",
          "appearance"
        ],
        [
          "wealth",
          "wealth"
        ],
        [
          "comfort",
          "comfort"
        ],
        [
          "propriety",
          "propriety"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To artificially maintain an outward sign of normality; to maintain an appearance of wealth, comfort, or propriety."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "maintain appearances"
        },
        {
          "word": "save appearances"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-keep up appearances.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/1b/En-au-keep_up_appearances.ogg/En-au-keep_up_appearances.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/En-au-keep_up_appearances.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "pretend to be all right",
      "word": "de schijn ophouden"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "pretend to be all right",
      "word": "pitää yllä kulissia"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "pretend to be all right",
      "word": "sauver les apparences"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "pretend to be all right",
      "word": "den Schein wahren"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "pretend to be all right",
      "word": "fenntartja a látszatot"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "pretend to be all right",
      "word": "mantenere le apparenze"
    },
    {
      "alt": "とりつくろう",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "toritsukurou",
      "sense": "pretend to be all right",
      "word": "取り繕う"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "pretend to be all right",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "zachowywać pozory"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "pretend to be all right",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "zachować pozory"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "délatʹ xoróšuju mínu pri ploxój igré",
      "sense": "pretend to be all right",
      "word": "де́лать хоро́шую ми́ну при плохо́й игре́"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "soxranjátʹ xoróšuju mínu pri ploxój igré",
      "sense": "pretend to be all right",
      "word": "сохраня́ть хоро́шую ми́ну при плохо́й игре́"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "deržátʹ xoróšuju mínu pri ploxój igré",
      "sense": "pretend to be all right",
      "word": "держа́ть хоро́шую ми́ну при плохо́й игре́"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "pretend to be all right",
      "word": "mantener las apariencias"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "pretend to be all right",
      "word": "guardar las formas"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "pretend to be all right",
      "word": "salvar las apariencias"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "pretend to be all right",
      "word": "hålla skenet uppe"
    }
  ],
  "word": "keep up appearances"
}

Download raw JSONL data for keep up appearances meaning in All languages combined (4.6kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (d8cb2f3 and 4e554ae). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.