Standard Lemma guide

upkeep

noun · verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˈʌpkip/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AH1 P K IY2 P Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good and working condition.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Examples

  • I would enjoy having a swimming pool, but I don't want to deal with the upkeep.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To maintain (something) or keep it in good repair.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, transitive

Examples

  • Do you know how to upkeep a boat?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

activity involved in maintaining something in good working order

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he wrote the manual on car care

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: care, maintenance

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: repair, fix, fixing, fixture, mend, mending, reparation

Narrower terms: camera care, car care, overhaul, inspection and repair, service, pump priming, scheduled maintenance, steam fitting

4

noun

Meaning 4

the act of sustaining life by food or providing a means of subsistence

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they were in want of sustenance
  • fishing was their main sustainment

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sustenance, sustentation, sustainment, maintenance

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: support

History

Etymology

From up + keep.

Across languages

Translations

41 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: поддръжка (poddrǎžka) — maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good repair
  • Danish: vedligehold — maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good repair
  • Dutch: onderhoud — maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good repair
  • Esperanto: bontenado — maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good repair
  • Finnish: huolto — maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good repair
  • Finnish: kunnossapito — maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good repair
  • Finnish: ylläpito — maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good repair
  • French: entretien — maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good repair
  • Galician: mantemento — maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good repair
  • German: Wartung — maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good repair
  • German: Instandhaltung — maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good repair
  • German: Unterhalt — maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good repair
  • German: Pflege — maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good repair
  • Italian: manutenzione — maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good repair
  • Latin: tuitiō — maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good repair
  • Norwegian Bokmål: vedlikehold — maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good repair
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: vedlikehald — maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good repair
  • Portuguese: manutenção — maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good repair
  • Russian: обслу́живание (obslúživanije) — maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good repair
  • Russian: содержа́ние (soderžánije) — maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good repair
  • Slovak: údržba — maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good repair
  • Spanish: mantenimiento — maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good repair
  • Spanish: manutención — maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good repair
  • Spanish: mantención — maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good repair
  • Swedish: underhåll — maintenance; the act or effort of keeping something in good repair
  • Bulgarian: поддържам (poddǎržam) — to maintain (something) or keep it in good repair
  • Danish: vedligeholde — to maintain (something) or keep it in good repair
  • Finnish: huoltaa — to maintain (something) or keep it in good repair
  • Finnish: pitää kunnossa — to maintain (something) or keep it in good repair
  • Galician: manter — to maintain (something) or keep it in good repair
  • German: warten — to maintain (something) or keep it in good repair
  • German: instandhalten — to maintain (something) or keep it in good repair
  • German: unterhalten — to maintain (something) or keep it in good repair
  • German: pflegen — to maintain (something) or keep it in good repair
  • Italian: manutenere — to maintain (something) or keep it in good repair
  • Russian: содержа́ть в исправности (soderžátʹ v ispravnosti) — to maintain (something) or keep it in good repair
  • Russian: проводить техническое обслуживание (provoditʹ texničeskoje obsluživanije) — to maintain (something) or keep it in good repair
  • Spanish: mantener — to maintain (something) or keep it in good repair
  • Swedish: sköta om — to maintain (something) or keep it in good repair
  • Swedish: ta hand om — to maintain (something) or keep it in good repair
  • Swedish: underhålla — to maintain (something) or keep it in good repair
Real reading context

upkeep in complete knowledge articles