# keep at

CEFR B1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/keep-at
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to continue doing something difficult or boring without stopping.

For teachers: to persist in a course of action or a specific task despite difficulty, fatigue, or lack of immediate progress.

## Examples

- Learning guitar is hard, but you must keep at it.
- If you keep at your studies every night, you will eventually pass the exam.
- The researchers decided to keep at the experiment for another year, hoping that a larger data set would finally yield a significant result.

## Pitfalls

- Not "You should keep at to practice." but "You should keep at it." — the phrase requires a noun or pronoun object; it cannot be followed directly by an infinitive verb.

## Usage notes

- usually followed by 'it' or a noun phrase representing a task or goal.
- Teaching tip: contrast with 'keep on' (which focuses on repetition of an action) versus 'keep at' (which focuses on persistence with a specific task).

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.