The difference between Keep and Stay

When used as nouns, keep means care, notice, whereas stay means continuance or a period of time spent in a place.

When used as verbs, keep means to continue in (a course or mode of action), whereas stay means to prop.

Stay is also adverb with the meaning: steeply.

Stay is also adjective with the meaning: steep.

check bellow for the other definitions of Keep and Stay

Keep as a verb:

To continue in (a course or mode of action); not to intermit or fall from; to uphold or maintain.

Examples:

"to keep silence;&emsp; to keep one's word;&emsp; to keep possession"
Keep as a verb (transitive):

To hold the status of something. To maintain possession of. To maintain the condition of. To record transactions, accounts, or events in. To enter (accounts, records, etc.) in a book. To remain in, to be confined to. To restrain. To watch over, look after, guard, protect. To supply with necessities and financially support a person. To raise; to care for. To maintain (an establishment or institution); to conduct; to manage. To have habitually in stock for sale.

Examples:

"I keep a small stock of painkillers for emergencies."

"I keep my specimens under glass to protect them."

"The abundance of squirrels kept the dogs running for hours."

"I used to keep a diary."

"I keep my brother out of trouble by keeping him away from his friends and hard at work."

"May the Lord keep you from harm."

"He kept a mistress for over ten years."

"He has been keeping orchids since retiring."
Keep as a verb (intransitive):

To hold or be held in a state. To reside for a time; to lodge; to dwell. To continue. To remain edible or otherwise usable. To remain in a state.

Examples:

"She kept to her bed while the fever lasted."

"I keep taking the tablets, but to no avail."

"Potatoes can keep if they are in a [[root cellar]]."

"Latex paint won't keep indefinitely."

"The rabbit avoided detection by keeping still."

"'Keep calm! There's no need to panic."
Keep as a verb (obsolete):

To wait for, keep watch for.
Keep as a verb (intransitive, cricket):

To act as wicket-keeper.

Examples:

"Godfrey Evans kept for England for many years."
Keep as a verb (intransitive, obsolete):

To take care; to be solicitous; to watch.
Keep as a verb (intransitive, obsolete):

To be in session; to take place.

Examples:

"School keeps today."
Keep as a verb (transitive):

To observe; to adhere to; to fulfill; not to swerve from or violate.
Keep as a verb (transitive, dated):

To confine oneself to; not to quit; to remain in.

Examples:

"to keep one's house, room, bed, etc."
Keep as a verb (transitive, dated, by extension):

To visit (a place) often; to frequent.

Keep as a noun (obsolete):

Care, notice
Keep as a noun (historical):

The main tower of a castle or fortress, located within the castle walls.

Examples:

"synonyms: donjon"
Keep as a noun:

The food or money required to keep someone alive and healthy; one's support, maintenance.

Examples:

"He works as a cobbler's apprentice for his keep."
Keep as a noun:

The act or office of keeping; custody; guard; care; heed; charge.
Keep as a noun:

The state of being kept; hence, the resulting condition; case.

Examples:

"to be in good keep'"
Keep as a noun (obsolete):

That which is kept in charge; a charge.
Keep as a noun (engineering):

A cap for holding something, such as a journal box, in place.

Stay as a verb (transitive):

To prop; support; sustain; hold up; steady.
Stay as a verb (transitive):

To support from sinking; to sustain with strength; to satisfy in part or for the time.
Stay as a verb (transitive):

To stop; detain; keep back; delay; hinder.
Stay as a verb (transitive):

To restrain; withhold; check; stop.
Stay as a verb (transitive):

To cause to cease; to put an end to.
Stay as a verb (transitive):

To put off; defer; postpone; delay; keep back.

Examples:

"The governor stayed the execution until the appeal could be heard."
Stay as a verb (transitive):

To hold the attention of.
Stay as a verb (transitive, obsolete):

To bear up under; to endure; to hold out against; to resist.
Stay as a verb (transitive, obsolete):

To wait for; await.
Stay as a verb (transitive, obsolete):

To remain for the purpose of; to wait for.
Stay as a verb (intransitive, obsolete):

To rest; depend; rely.
Stay as a verb (intransitive, obsolete):

To stop; come to a stand or standstill.
Stay as a verb (intransitive, archaic):

To come to an end; cease.

Examples:

"That day the storm stayed."
Stay as a verb (intransitive, archaic):

To dwell; linger; tarry; wait.
Stay as a verb (intransitive, dated):

To make a stand; to stand firm.
Stay as a verb (intransitive, obsolete):

To hold out, as in a race or contest; last or persevere to the end.

Examples:

"That horse stays well."
Stay as a verb (intransitive):

To remain in a particular place, especially for a definite or short period of time; sojourn; abide.

Examples:

"We stayed in Hawaii for a week.&emsp; I can only stay for an hour."
Stay as a verb (intransitive, obsolete):

To wait; rest in patience or expectation.
Stay as a verb (intransitive, obsolete, used with ''on'' or ''upon''):

To wait as an attendant; give ceremonious or submissive attendance.
Stay as a verb (intransitive):

To continue to have a particular quality.

Examples:

"Wear gloves so your hands stay warm."
Stay as a verb (intransitive, US South, AAVE, colloquial, non-standard):

To live; reside

Examples:

"Hey, where do you stay at?"

Stay as a noun:

Continuance or a period of time spent in a place; abode for an indefinite time; sojourn.

Examples:

"I hope you enjoyed your stay in Hawaii."
Stay as a noun:

A postponement, especially of an execution or other punishment.

Examples:

"The governor granted a stay of execution."
Stay as a noun (archaic):

A stop; a halt; a break or cessation of action, motion, or progress.

Examples:

"stand at a stay"
Stay as a noun:

A fixed state; fixedness; stability; permanence.
Stay as a noun (nautical):

A station or fixed anchorage for vessels.
Stay as a noun:

Restraint of passion; prudence; moderation; caution; steadiness; sobriety.
Stay as a noun (obsolete):

Hindrance; let; check.

Stay as a noun:

A prop; a support.
Stay as a noun:

A piece of stiff material, such as plastic or whalebone, used to stiffen a piece of clothing.

Examples:

"Where are the stays for my collar?"
Stay as a noun:

(plural) A corset
Stay as a noun (archaic):

A fastening for a garment; a hook; a clasp; anything to hang another thing on.

Stay as a noun (nautical):

A strong rope supporting a mast, and leading from one masthead down to some other, or other part of the vessel.
Stay as a noun:

A guy, rope, or wire supporting or stabilizing a platform, such as a bridge, a pole, such as a tentpole, the mast of a derrick, or other structural element.

Examples:

"The engineer insisted on using stays for the scaffolding."
Stay as a noun (chain-cable):

The transverse piece in a link.

Stay as a verb:

To brace or support with a stay or stays

Examples:

"stay a mast"
Stay as a verb (transitive, nautical):

To incline forward, aft, or to one side by means of stays.
Stay as a verb (transitive, nautical):

To tack; put on the other tack.

Examples:

"to stay ship"
Stay as a verb (intransitive, nautical):

To change; tack; go about; be in stays, as a ship.

Stay as an adjective (UK, _, dialectal):

Steep; ascending.
Stay as an adjective (UK, _, dialectal):

Steeply pitched.
Stay as an adjective (UK, _, dialectal):

Difficult to negotiate; not easy to access; sheer.
Stay as an adjective (UK, _, dialectal):

Stiff; upright; unbending; reserved; haughty; proud.

Stay as an adverb (UK, _, dialectal):

Steeply.

The difference between Keep and Stay

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