← Back to Fala2Me
keep one's distance
[/kiːp wʌnz ˈdɪstəns/]
verb phrase
manter distância
1.
To stay away from someone or something; to avoid getting too close physically or emotionally
After their argument, she decided to keep her distance from him for a while.
Depois da discussão, ela decidiu manter distância dele por um tempo.
2.
To maintain a formal or reserved relationship with someone
The manager keeps her distance from employees to maintain professionalism.
A gerente mantém distância dos funcionários para manter a profissionalidade.
3.
To avoid involvement or interference in a situation
I prefer to keep my distance from office politics.
Prefiro manter distância da política do escritório.
NYC Slang
stay away from someone
Synonyms
stay away
keep apart
remain aloof
stand back
avoid
steer clear of
Antonyms
get close
approach
draw near
engage
involve oneself
Regional Variations
General Brazilian
manter distância
Standard usage across Brazil
São Paulo
manter distância
Commonly used in professional contexts
Portugal
manter distância
Standard usage; also 'guardar distância' is used
Related Idioms & Phrases
keep someone at arm's length
give someone the cold shoulder
steer clear of
play it cool
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →