Pronunciation: /triːt ðem miːn, kiːp ðem kiːn/
noun a word used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things
A1 My grandmother always says 'treat them mean, keep them keen' when talking about relationships.
A2 I heard the phrase 'treat them mean, keep them keen' but I'm not sure what it means exactly.
B1 Some people believe in the saying 'treat them mean, keep them keen' as a way to keep someone interested.
B2 The advice to 'treat them mean, keep them keen' may work for some people but not for others.
C1 The concept of 'treat them mean, keep them keen' is often debated in discussions about dating and relationships.
C2 The saying 'treat them mean, keep them keen' is often used as a justification for playing games in relationships.
verb a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence
A1 He treats his dog mean to keep it keen.
A2 She treats her plants mean, believing it makes them grow better.
B1 The coach treats his players mean to keep them keen during practice.
B2 The manager treats his employees mean, thinking it motivates them to work harder.
C1 Some people believe in the saying 'treat them mean, keep them keen' when it comes to relationships.
C2 The director of the company follows the philosophy of 'treat them mean, keep them keen' with his subordinates.
adjective a word naming an attribute of a noun, such as sweet, red, or technical
A1 My friend told me that if you treat them mean, keep them keen, they will be more interested in you.
A2 I've heard the saying 'treat them mean, keep them keen' but I don't think it's a good way to approach relationships.
B1 Some people believe in the philosophy of 'treat them mean, keep them keen' when it comes to dating.
B2 I don't agree with the idea of 'treat them mean, keep them keen' as I believe in treating others with kindness and respect.
C1 The concept of 'treat them mean, keep them keen' may work for some people, but I prefer to be genuine and kind in my interactions.
C2 I find the notion of 'treat them mean, keep them keen' to be outdated and manipulative in relationships.
adverb a word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb or a word group, expressing a relation of place, time, circumstance, manner, cause, degree, etc.
A1 He treats her mean to keep her keen.
A2 She always says 'treat them mean, keep them keen' when talking about dating advice.
B1 Some people believe in the saying 'treat them mean, keep them keen' when it comes to relationships.
B2 The idea of 'treat them mean, keep them keen' is often debated among relationship experts.
C1 The concept of 'treat them mean, keep them keen' is considered outdated by many modern psychologists.
C2 Despite its controversial nature, some people still adhere to the philosophy of 'treat them mean, keep them keen' in their relationships.
pronoun a word that can function by itself as a noun phrase and that refers either to the participants in the discourse or to someone or something mentioned elsewhere in the discourse
A1 My grandmother always said, 'treat them mean, keep them keen' when talking about relationships.
A2 I heard that phrase 'treat them mean, keep them keen' in a movie about dating advice.
B1 Some people believe in the saying 'treat them mean, keep them keen' when it comes to romantic relationships.
B2 I don't agree with the idea of 'treat them mean, keep them keen' as a strategy for maintaining interest in a relationship.
C1 The concept of 'treat them mean, keep them keen' is often seen as outdated and potentially harmful in modern relationships.
C2 I think the saying 'treat them mean, keep them keen' promotes unhealthy power dynamics in relationships and should be avoided.
conjunction a word used to connect clauses or sentences or to coordinate words in the same clause
A1 If you treat them mean, they will be keen on you.
A2 Treat them mean, keep them keen - that's what they say.
B1 The old saying goes 'treat them mean, keep them keen'.
B2 Some people believe in the strategy of 'treat them mean, keep them keen'.
C1 There is a theory that suggests 'treat them mean, keep them keen' to maintain interest.
C2 The concept of 'treat them mean, keep them keen' is often debated in relationship dynamics.
article a word that is used with a noun to indicate the type of reference being made by the noun
A1 If you want someone to like you, treat them mean, keep them keen.
A2 She believes in the saying 'treat them mean, keep them keen' when it comes to dating.
B1 Some people think that 'treat them mean, keep them keen' is a good strategy in relationships.
B2 He followed the advice of 'treat them mean, keep them keen' to make the person he liked more interested.
C1 The concept of 'treat them mean, keep them keen' is often debated in the realm of dating psychology.
C2 Despite the controversy, some still believe in the effectiveness of 'treat them mean, keep them keen' in romantic pursuits.
formal It is not advisable to treat someone mean in order to keep them keen in a professional setting.
informal You shouldn't act mean towards someone just to make them more interested in you.
slang Playing hard to get by being mean doesn't always work to keep someone interested.
figurative The old saying 'treat them mean, keep them keen' may not always lead to a successful relationship.
treated them mean, kept them keen
treat them mean, keep them keen
treat them meaner, keep them keener
treat them meanest, keep them keenest
treat them mean, keep them keen
will treat them mean, will keep them keen
have treated them mean, have kept them keen
treating them mean, keeping them keen
treats them mean, keeps them keen
treat them mean, keep them keen
to treat them mean, to keep them keen
treating them mean, keeping them keen
treating them mean, keeping them keen