keep; retain; hold back
Meanings
3 senses · 15 examplesverb
to keep intact; preserve unchanged
formalUsed for preserving places, objects, or original states.
The site of the Zunyi Conference still preserves its original appearance from back then.
This ancient city wall has been completely preserved.
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The museum preserved the Qing Dynasty office scene.
This small town has kept traditional folk activities intact.
The old house retains its original wooden structure.
verb
to temporarily hold; defer discussion
neutralCommonly used in meetings, discussions, or work settings to postpone decisions.
We will temporarily hold different opinions and discuss them next time.
We will hold this proposal temporarily and vote after collecting more data.
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The meeting decided to defer this topic to the next regular meeting.
We will temporarily hold the proposal on salary adjustment.
We will temporarily keep this plan and optimize it later.
verb
to hold back; not disclose; not give out
neutralCan refer to withholding opinions, items, knowledge, etc., often used with negative adverbs like '毫无' to mean fully sharing.
Most of his book collection was donated to the National Library, and he only kept a small portion for himself.
Speak out any opinions you have; don't hold back.
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The teacher taught the students precious experience and knowledge without holding anything back.
He did not keep any secrets from his family.
Please don't hold back your thoughts and tell us directly.