keep up appearances en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Meanings
-
(idiomatic) To artificially maintain an outward sign of normality; to maintain an appearance of wealth, comfort, or propriety.
With tact and management it would be possible to partially satisfy creditors, and keep up appearances for six months more.
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.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| kept up appearances | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| kept up appearances | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| keeping up appearances | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| keeps up appearances | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |
Relateds
Synonyms
save appearances · maintain appearances
Translations (14)
fi pitää yllä kulissia (pretend to be all right) · ja 取り繕う (pretend to be all right) · es mantener/guardar/cubrir/cuidar/salvar las apariencias (pretend to be all right) · hu fenntartja a látszatot (pretend to be all right) · pl zachować pozory (pretend to be all right) · ru сохраня́ть хоро́шую ми́ну при плохо́й игре́ (pretend to be all right) · de den Schein wahren (pretend to be all right) · ru держа́ть хоро́шую ми́ну при плохо́й игре́ (pretend to be all right) · ru де́лать хоро́шую ми́ну при плохо́й игре́ (pretend to be all right) · fr sauver les apparences (pretend to be all right) · nl de schijn ophouden (pretend to be all right) · sv hålla skenet uppe (pretend to be all right) · pl zachowywać pozory (pretend to be all right) · it salvare le apparenze (pretend to be all right)