hold1

Pronunciation: /həʊld/

Translate hold | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish

Definition of hold

verb (past and past participle held /hɛld/)

1 [with object] grasp, carry, or support with one’s arms or hands:she was holding a brown leather suitcase [no object]:he held on to the back of a chair
[with object and adverbial] keep or sustain in a specified position:I held the door open for him
embrace (someone):Mark pulled her into his arms and held her close
be able to bear (the weight of a person or thing):I reached up to the nearest branch which seemed likely to hold my weight
(of a vehicle) maintain close contact with (the road), especially when driven at speed:the car holds the corners very well
(of a ship or an aircraft) continue to follow (a particular course):the ship is holding a south-easterly course
[no object, with adverbial of direction] archaic keep going in a particular direction:he held on his way, close behind his friend

2 [with object] keep or detain (someone):the police were holding him on a murder charge [with object and complement]:she was held prisoner for two days
keep possession of (something), typically in the face of a challenge or attack:the rebels held the town for many weeks [no object]:White managed to hold on to his lead
keep (someone’s interest or attention).
(of a singer or musician) sustain (a note).
stay or cause to stay at a certain value or level: [no object]:MCI shares held at 77p [with object]:they are trying to hold public spending to £244.5 billion
(in sport) manage to achieve a draw against (opponents thought likely to win):AC Milan were held to a 1-1 draw by Udinese

3 [no object] remain secure, intact, or in position without breaking or giving way:the boat’s anchor would not hold
(of a favourable condition or situation) continue without changing:let’s hope her luck holds
be or remain valid or available:I’ll have that coffee now, if the offer still holds
(of an argument or theory) be logical, consistent, or convincing:their views still seem to hold up extremely well
(hold to) refuse to abandon or change (a principle or opinion):those who held to the view that Britain should not be part of the Common Market
[with object] (hold someone to) cause someone to adhere to (a commitment):the role of the media ought to be to hold politicians to their promises

4 [with object] contain or be capable of containing (a specified amount):the tank held twenty-four gallons
be able to drink (a reasonable amount of alcohol) without becoming drunk or suffering any ill effects:I can hold my drink as well as anyone
have or be characterized by:I don’t know what the future holds

5 [with object] have in one’s possession:the managing director still holds fifty shares in the company
[no object] North American informal be in possession of illegal drugs:he was holding, and the police hauled him off to jail
have or occupy (a job or position):she held office from 1985 to 90
[with object] have (a belief or opinion):I feel nothing but pity for someone who holds such chauvinistic views [with clause]:they hold that all literature is empty of meaning
[with object and complement] consider (someone) to be responsible or liable for a particular situation:you can’t hold yourself responsible for what happened
(hold someone/thing in) regard someone or something with (a specified feeling):the speed limit is held in contempt by many drivers
[with clause] (of a judge or court) rule; decide:the Court of Appeal held that there was no evidence to support the judge’s assessment

6 [with object] keep or reserve for someone:a booking can be held for twenty-four hours
maintain (a telephone connection) until the person one has telephoned is free to speak:please hold the line, and I’ll see if he’s available [no object]:will you hold?

7 [with object] prevent from going ahead or occurring:hold your fire!
North American informal refrain from adding or using (something, typically an item of food or drink):a strawberry margarita, but hold the tequila
(hold it) informal wait or stop doing something:hold it right there, mate!
[no object] archaic restrain oneself: ‘Hold, hold!’ he cried

8 [with object] arrange and take part in (a meeting or conversation):a meeting was held at the church

noun

1an act or manner of grasping something; a grip:he caught hold of her arm he lost his hold and fell
a particular way of grasping or restraining someone, especially an opponent in wrestling or judo.
a place where one can grip with one’s hands or feet while climbing:he felt carefully with his feet for a hold and swung himself up

2 [in singular] power or control:Tom had some kind of hold over his father

3 archaic a fortress.

Phrases

be left holding the baby (or North American bag): informal be left with an unwelcome responsibility, typically without warning.
get hold of: grasp physically.; informal obtain:if you can’t get hold of ripe tomatoes, add some tomato purée; informal find or manage to contact (someone):I’ll try and get hold of Mark
hold someone/thing at bay: see bay⁵.
hold one's breath: see breath.
hold someone/thing cheap: archaic have a low opinion of someone or something: I began to dislike Linton, and to excuse his father for holding him cheap
hold court: be the centre of attention amidst a crowd of one’s admirers: Lewis was holding court in the small dressing room
hold someone/thing dear: care for or value someone or something greatly:fidelity is something most of us hold dear
hold fast: remain tightly secured:the door held fast, obviously locked; continue to believe in or adhere to an idea or principle:it is important that we hold fast to the policies
hold the field: see field.
hold the fort: take responsibility for a situation while another person is temporarily absent.
hold good (or true): remain true or valid:his views still hold true today
hold one's ground: see ground¹.
hold someone's hand: give a person comfort, guidance, or moral support in a difficult situation.
hold hands: (of two or more people) clasp each other by the hand, typically as a sign of affection.
hold hard: [as imperative] British stop or wait.
hold someone/thing harmless: Law indemnify someone or something.
hold one's horses: [usually as imperative] informal wait a moment.
hold the line: not yield to the pressure of a difficult situation: France’s central bank would hold the line
hold one's nose: squeeze one’s nostrils with one’s fingers in order to avoid inhaling an unpleasant smell.
hold one's own: see own.
hold one's peace: see peace.
hold (one's) serve (or service): (in tennis and other racket sports) win a game in which one is serving.
hold the stage: see stage.
hold sway: see sway.
hold thumbs: South African fold one’s fingers over one’s thumb to bring good luck.
hold someone to bail: Law bind someone by bail.
hold one's tongue: [often in imperative] informal remain silent.
hold someone/thing to ransom: see ransom.
hold one's head up (or hold one's head high): see head.
hold water: [often with negative] (of a statement, theory, or line of reasoning) appear to be valid, sound, or reasonable:this argument just does not hold water
no holds barred: (in wrestling) with no restrictions on the kinds of holds that are used.; used to convey that no rules or restrictions apply in a conflict or dispute:no-holds-barred military action
on hold: waiting to be connected while making a telephone call: ‘I’ll just see if he’s free,’ Rachel said, and put me on hold; temporarily not being dealt with or pursued:he has had to put his career on hold
take hold: start to have an effect:the reforms of the late nineteenth century had taken hold
there is no holding someone: used to convey that someone is particularly determined or cannot be prevented from doing something:once Eva had found her vocation there was no holding her

Phrasal Verbs

hold something against someone: allow past actions or circumstances to have a negative influence on one’s present attitude towards someone:if he failed her, she would hold it against him forever
hold back: hesitate to act or speak: he held back, remembering the mistake he had made before
hold someone/thing back: prevent or restrict the progress or development of someone or something:my lack of experience held me back a bit; (hold something back) refuse or be unwilling to make something known:you’re not holding anything back from me, are you?
hold someone down: keep someone under strict control or severely restrict their freedom:the people are held down by a repressive military regime
hold something down: informal succeed in keeping a job or position for a period of time: holding down two jobs was proving tiring for him
hold forth: talk lengthily, assertively, or tediously about a subject:he was holding forth on the merits of the band’s debut LP
hold something in: suppress an expression of emotion:she tried to stop laughing, but it was too much to hold in
hold someone/thing off: resist an attacker or challenge:he held off a late challenge by Vose to win by thirteen seconds
hold off: (of bad weather) fail to occur: fortunately, the rain held off until the evening; delay or postpone an action or decision: if I was in their shoes, I’d hold off for a couple of days
hold on
hold on to: keep:the industry is trying to hold on to experienced staff
hold out: resist or survive in difficult circumstances:British troops held out against constant attacks; continue to be sufficient:we can stay here for as long as our supplies hold out
hold out for: continue to demand (a particular thing), refusing to accept what has been offered:he is holding out for a guaranteed 7 per cent rise
hold out on: informal refuse to give something, typically information, to (someone).
hold something out: offer a chance or hope:a new drug may hold out hope for patients with lung cancer
hold something over
hold together (or hold something together): remain or cause to remain united:if your party holds together, you will probably win
hold up: remain strong or vigorous:the Labour vote held up well
hold someone/thing up
hold with: [with negative] informal approve of:I don’t hold with fighting or violence

Derivatives

holdable

Origin:

Old English haldan, healdan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch houden and German halten; the noun is partly from Old Norse hald 'hold, support, custody'

hold in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of hold in the US English dictionary

Subscriber login

Library card login

Other

verb (past and past participle held /hɛld/)

noun

Phrases

be left holding the baby (or North American bag)

get hold of

hold someone/thing at bay

hold one's breath

hold someone/thing cheap

hold court

hold someone/thing dear

hold fast

hold the field

hold the fort

hold good (or true)

hold one's ground

hold someone's hand

hold hands

hold hard

hold someone/thing harmless

hold one's horses

hold the line

hold one's nose

hold one's own

hold one's peace

hold (one's) serve (or service)

hold the stage

hold sway

hold thumbs

hold someone to bail

hold one's tongue

hold someone/thing to ransom

hold one's head up (or hold one's head high)

hold water

no holds barred

on hold

take hold

there is no holding someone

Phrasal Verbs

hold something against someone

hold back

hold someone/thing back

hold someone down

hold something down

hold forth

hold something in

hold someone/thing off

hold off

hold on

hold on to

hold out

hold out for

hold out on

hold something out

hold something over

hold together (or hold something together)

hold up

hold someone/thing up

hold with

Derivatives

holdable

Origin:

hold in other Oxford dictionaries

Nearby words

More results for hold

Word of the day

ludology