English

Verb

keep up appearances

1. (idiomatic) To pretend to be all right or that everything is going well.

   For my father's sake, I thought I must keep up appearances, but the food stuck in my throat, and I could not swallow another mouthful.

   With tact and management it would be possible to partially satisfy creditors, and keep up appearances for six months more.

Synonyms

• maintain appearances

Translations