upkeep C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities US /ˈʌpkip/ UK /ˈʌpkiːp/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun the cost or process of maintaining something in good condition The upkeep of the old estate drained the family's fortune. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · the cost or process of... maintenancepreservationcarerepairconservationsupport ↔ Opposites neglectdisrepairdilapidation Word family Related forms keepup Etymology AI details A compound of up plus keep, formed in English in the 19th century; keep is from Old English cēpan ('to seize, hold, observe'). up Middle English cēpan Old English View etymology graph -> Topics Describing Qualities External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # upkeep **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈʌpkip/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈʌpkiːp/ ## Meanings 1. the cost or process of maintaining something in good condition ## Examples - The upkeep of the old estate drained the family's fortune. ## Synonyms - maintenance - preservation - care - repair - conservation - support ## Antonyms - neglect - disrepair - dilapidation ## Related Forms - keep - up ## Roots and Affixes - Root: up - Root: cēpan ## Etymology A compound of up plus keep, formed in English in the 19th century; keep is from Old English cēpan ('to seize, hold, observe'). ## AI Etymology Upkeep is a compound of up plus keep, formed in English in the 19th century; keep is from Old English cēpan ('to seize, hold, observe'). In current use it is a noun meaning "the cost or process of maintaining something in good condition". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The surface form is compositional: its joined elements remain visible in the modern word. The historical chain includes Old English up and Old English cēpan. Related English forms include keep and up. The word's history is thus visible in its construction: the components remain interpretable even after the whole expression has settled into a conventional English meaning. ## Topics - Describing Qualities markdown