keep severe

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "keep severe" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It may be intended to suggest maintaining a strict or harsh approach, but the wording is awkward and unclear. Example: "To ensure compliance, we must keep severe measures in place."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

A snort of a new nasal-spray vaccine could soon keep severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) at bay.

Science Magazine

It seems when it comes to Ireland, Trump believes in global warming and sea rise: He has tried to get permission to build a 1.7-mile-long wall to keep severe storms from flooding his resort.

Huffington Post

Some medications are not eligible for any subsidy or government concessions: "… having to pay extra for medication because generic brands do not help to keep severe [condition] … under control.

BMC Health Services Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

We excluded the following from the definition of the outcome: heart failure, cardiac arrhythmia, phlebitis, pulmonary embolism and peripheral venous diseases to keep only severe or life-threatening cardiovascular events in the analysis.

BMJ Open

It's brick built to keep out the severe weather and has a flint roof and open-plan staircase.

The Guardian - Travel

"It takes sheer force of will to keep going with severe depression," said Dr. J. Raymond DePaulo Jr., head of the psychiatry department at the Johns Hopkins medical school.

The New York Times

"We are going to keep a really severe eye on the North Korean ships," Taro Kono, a governing party member of Japan's Parliament, said in an interview.

The New York Times

She has worked with patients who chose to keep pregnancies with severe fetal anomalies, for whom she helped arrange services throughout the hospital; and with those who terminated just before the 24-week legal deadline.

The New York Times

When heartburn symptoms become severe, keep you up at night, or occur at least twice a week, you may have Acid Reflux Disease.

WikiHow

Keep in mind severe allergies can also cause dark circles, so get your allergies under control by avoiding the things that cause them, or by taking allergy medication (doctor approved, of course).

WikiHow

It shows that summer drought in Korea kept being severer up to 1994 and then being wetter afterwards.

Geoscience Letters

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Instead of using the awkward phrase "keep severe", opt for stronger and clearer alternatives such as "maintain strict", "enforce rigorous", or "uphold harsh" to convey your intended meaning more effectively.

Common error

Avoid using the phrase "keep severe" in formal writing. This phrase can sound unnatural; using clearer alternatives like "maintain strict" or "enforce rigorous" will improve clarity and impact.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "keep severe" is typically intended to function as a verb phrase, aiming to express the idea of maintaining or preserving a high degree of intensity or strictness. Ludwig AI indicates that the phrase is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "keep severe" is not considered grammatically correct or idiomatic in standard English. Ludwig AI marks it as an incorrect expression, advising against its use due to its awkwardness and lack of clarity. While examples can be found across various sources like News & Media, Science, and Wiki, it's best to opt for clearer and more precise alternatives such as "maintain strict", "enforce rigorous", or "uphold harsh". These alternatives not only convey the intended meaning more effectively but also align with standard English usage, enhancing the overall quality and impact of your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

maintain strict

Replaces "keep" with "maintain" and "severe" with "strict", focusing on the continuation of a rigorous standard.

enforce rigorous

Emphasizes the active enforcement of a strict standard, replacing "keep" with "enforce" and "severe" with "rigorous".

uphold harsh

Highlights the act of upholding a severe or unyielding measure, differing in tone by using "harsh".

preserve stringent

Focuses on preserving a stringent standard, swapping "keep" for "preserve" and "severe" with "stringent".

sustain intense

Implies continuing something with intensity, changing "keep" to "sustain" and using "intense" for emphasis.

prevent extreme

Shifts focus to preventing an extreme outcome, changing the core action and adjective.

avoid critical

Centers on avoiding a critical situation, moving away from the idea of maintaining something to preventing an undesirable state.

mitigate drastic

Suggests lessening the impact of something drastic, altering both the action and the adjective for a focus on reduction.

control intense

Focuses on controlling something that is intense, rather than maintaining severity in general.

manage acute

Emphasizes managing an acute or sharp situation, changing the sense to handling a specific type of severity.

FAQs

What does "keep severe" mean?

The phrase "keep severe" is not standard English and may not be readily understood. It could imply maintaining something at a high level of intensity or strictness, but clearer phrasing is generally preferred.

How to avoid using "keep severe" in my writing?

To avoid "keep severe", consider alternatives like "maintain strict", "enforce rigorous", or "uphold harsh", depending on the specific context.

Is there a situation where "keep severe" is appropriate?

While not grammatically incorrect, "keep severe" is rarely the best choice. In most contexts, a more precise and idiomatic phrase will better convey the intended meaning.

What's the difference between "keep severe" and "maintain strict"?

"Maintain strict" is more idiomatic and clearly conveys the idea of continuing a rigorous standard. "Keep severe", while understandable, is less common and can sound awkward. Opt for "maintain strict" for clarity and impact.