Cool MateKeep vs Retain vs Save your pity and your mercy
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Keep
Retain
Save your pity and your mercy
| Keep | Retain | Save your pity and your mercy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/kiːp/","/kiːps/","/kept/","/ˈkiːpɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/kiːp/","/kiːps/","/kept/","/ˈkiːpɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //rɪˈteɪn//🇺🇸 //rɪˈteɪn// | 🇬🇧 //seɪv jɔː pɪti ənd jɔː ˈmɜːsi//🇺🇸 //seɪv jɔr ˈpɪti ənd jɔr ˈmɜrsi// |
| Meaning | To have or hold something in your possession. | To keep or hold something. | Don't waste your kindness and sympathy. |
| Example | Please keep your room clean. | It's important to retain information during exams. | When I failed the exam, my friend said, 'Just save your pity and your mercy; I’m fine.' |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 2,000 (common) | Beyond 10,000 (less common) |
| CEFR level | A1 | B2 | - |
| Part of speech | verb | verb | |
| Collocations | well | retain customers, retain information, retain control, retain talent | show mercy, feel pity, save compassion |
| Antonyms | discard, release, abandon | lose, discard, abandon | - |
| Common mistakes | Confusing 'keep' with 'keep on' which suggests continuation., Using 'keep' without an object (e.g. saying 'I keep' instead of 'I keep it')., Incorrectly using 'kept' as a present tense. | Confused with 'retain' vs 'obtain'., Using 'retain' without an object., Misusing 'retain' in informal contexts. | Using 'pity' instead of 'sympathy' incorrectly., Confusing 'mercy' with 'forgiveness'. |
| Usage notes | Use 'keep' when you want to indicate retaining something. It is suitable for both spoken and written contexts. Avoid using 'keep' in overly formal writing; alternatives like 'retain' may be better. | Use 'retain' when discussing keeping information, objects, or qualities. It's more formal than 'keep'. Avoid in casual speech. | This phrase is often used to tell someone that their compassion is not needed. It's appropriate in contexts where someone tries to show sympathy for a situation that doesn't deserve it. |
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Frequently asked questions: Keep vs Retain vs Save your pity and your mercy
What's the difference between Keep, Retain, and Save your pity and your mercy?
Keep: To have or hold something in your possession. Retain: To keep or hold something. Save your pity and your mercy: Don't waste your kindness and sympathy.
Which is more common: Keep, Retain, and Save your pity and your mercy?
Keep is the most common in everyday English.
Which is more advanced: Keep, Retain, and Save your pity and your mercy?
Retain is the highest level, at B2, on the CEFR scale.
Can you show an example of each?
Keep: Please keep your room clean. Retain: It's important to retain information during exams. Save your pity and your mercy: When I failed the exam, my friend said, 'Just save your pity and your mercy; I’m fine.'
Can I use Keep, Retain, and Save your pity and your mercy interchangeably?
Not always. Keep, Retain, and Save your pity and your mercy are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.