hold
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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holds,
present (3rd person singular)
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held,
past participle, past
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holden,
past participle (Archaic)
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holding
present participle
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to have or keep in the hand; keep fast; grasp.
She held the purse in her right hand.
He held the child's hand in his.
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to set aside; reserve or retain.
to hold merchandise until called for;
to hold a reservation.
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to bear, sustain, or support, as with the hands or arms, or by any other means.
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to keep in a specified state, relation, etc..
The preacher held them spellbound.
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to detain.
The police held him at the station house.
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to engage in; preside over; carry on.
to hold a meeting.
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to keep back from action; hinder; restrain.
Fear held him from acting.
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to have the ownership or use of; keep as one's own; occupy.
to hold political office.
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to contain or be capable of containing.
This bottle holds a quart.
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to bind or make accountable to an obligation.
We will hold you to your promise to pay back the money.
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to have or keep in the mind; think or believe.
We hold this belief.
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to regard or consider.
to hold a person responsible.
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to decide legally.
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to consider of a certain value; rate.
We held her best of all the applicants.
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to keep forcibly, as against an adversary.
Enemy forces held the hill.
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to point, aim, or direct.
He held a gun on the prisoner.
The firefighter held a hose on the blaze.
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Music. to sustain (a note, chord, or rest).
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to omit from the usual order or combination.
Give me a burger well-done—hold the pickle.
verb (used without object)
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holds,
present (3rd person singular)
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held,
past participle, past
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holden,
past participle (Archaic)
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holding
present participle
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to remain or continue in a specified state, relation, etc..
Hold still while I take your picture.
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to remain fast; adhere; cling.
The buttonhole stitching is so frayed that the button no longer holds.
- Synonyms:
- stick
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to keep or maintain a grasp on something.
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to maintain one's position against opposition; continue in resistance.
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to agree or side (usually followed bywith ).
to hold with new methods.
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to keep a telephone connection open; refrain from hanging up (often followed byon ).
The customer service rep asked me to hold while she checked my account balance.
Hold on, I’ve got another incoming call.
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to hold property by some tenure; derive title (usually followed by by, from, in, orof ).
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to remain attached, faithful, or steadfast (usually followed byto ).
to hold to one's purpose.
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to remain valid; be in force.
The rule does not hold.
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to refrain or forbear (usually used imperatively).
noun
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an act of holding fast by a grasp of the hand or by some other physical means; grasp; grip.
Take hold.
Do you have a hold on the rope?
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something to hold a thing by, as a handle; something to grasp, especially for support.
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something that holds fast or supports something else.
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an order reserving something.
to put a hold on a library book.
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Finance. a security purchased or recommended for long-term growth.
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a controlling force or dominating influence.
to have a hold on a person.
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Wrestling. a method of seizing an opponent and keeping him in control.
a toe hold.
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Music. fermata.
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a pause or delay, as in a continuing series.
a hold in the movements of a dance.
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a prison or prison cell.
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a receptacle for something.
a basket used as a hold for letters.
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Rocketry. a halt in the prelaunch countdown, either planned or unexpectedly called, to allow correction of one or more faults in the rocket or missile.
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a fortified place; stronghold.
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(on telephones with two or more lines) a feature that enables a person to maintain a connection on one line while answering another line.
verb phrase
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hold out
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to present; offer.
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to stretch forth; extend.
Hold out your hand.
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to continue to exist; last.
Will the food hold out?
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to refuse to yield or submit.
The defenders held out for weeks.
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to withhold something expected or due.
He was suspected of holding out information important to the case.
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hold on
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to keep a firm grip on.
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to keep going; continue.
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to maintain, as one's opinion or position.
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to stop; halt (usually used imperatively).
Hold on now! That isn't what I meant at all.
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hold.
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hold off
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to keep at a distance; resist; repel.
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to postpone action; defer.
If you hold off applying for a passport, you may not get one in time.
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hold with
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to be in agreement with; concur with.
I don't hold with his pessimistic views.
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to approve of; condone.
They won't hold with such a travesty of justice.
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hold over
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to keep for future consideration or action; postpone.
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to remain in possession or in office beyond the regular term.
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to remain beyond the arranged period.
The movie was held over for a week.
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Music. to prolong (a tone) from one measure to the next.
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hold up
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to offer; give.
She held up his father as an example to follow.
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to present to notice; expose.
to hold someone up to ridicule.
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to hinder; delay.
The plane's departure was held up because of the storm.
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to stop by force in order to rob.
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to support; uphold.
to hold up farm prices.
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to stop; halt.
They held up at the gate.
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to maintain one's position or condition; endure.
They held up through all their troubles.
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hold down
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to restrain; check.
Hold down that noise!
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to continue to hold and manage well.
She held down that job for years.
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hold in
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to restrain; check; curb.
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to contain oneself; exercise restraint.
He was raging inside, but held himself in for fear of saying something he would regret.
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hold back
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to restrain or check.
Police held back the crowd.
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to retain possession of; keep back.
He held back ten dollars.
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to refrain from revealing; withhold.
to hold back information.
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to refrain from participating or engaging in some activity.
He held back from joining in the singing because he felt depressed.
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Photography. dodge.
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hold forth
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to extend or offer; propose.
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to talk at great length; harangue.
When we left, he was still holding forth on World War II.
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idioms
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get hold of,
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to get a hold on.
Get hold of the railing.
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to communicate with, especially by telephone.
If she's not at home, try to get hold of her at the office.
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no holds barred, without limits, rules, or restraints.
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hold one's peace. peace.
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hold water. water.
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hold one's tongue. tongue.
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hold one's own. own.
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on hold,
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in or into a state of temporary interruption or suspension.
The project will be put on hold until funds become available.
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Telecommunications. in or into a state of temporary interruption in a telephone connection.
I'm putting you on hold to answer another call.
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noun
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Nautical.
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the entire cargo space in the hull of a vessel.
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the cargo space in the hull of a vessel between the lowermost deck and the bottom.
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any individual compartment of such cargo spaces, closed by bulkheads and having its own hatchway.
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Aviation. the cargo compartment of an aircraft.
verb
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to have or keep (an object) with or within the hands, arms, etc; clasp
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(tr) to support or bear
to hold a drowning man's head above water
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to maintain or be maintained in a specified state or condition
to hold one's emotions in check
hold firm
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(tr) to set aside or reserve
they will hold our tickets until tomorrow
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(when intr, usually used in commands) to restrain or be restrained from motion, action, departure, etc
hold that man until the police come
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(intr) to remain fast or unbroken
that cable won't hold much longer
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(intr) (of the weather) to remain dry and bright
how long will the weather hold?
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(tr) to keep the attention of
her singing held the audience
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(tr) to engage in or carry on
to hold a meeting
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(tr) to have the ownership, possession, etc, of
he holds a law degree from London
who's holding the ace of spades?
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(tr) to have the use of or responsibility for
to hold the office of director
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(tr) to have the space or capacity for
the carton will hold only eight books
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(tr) to be able to control the outward effects of drinking beer, spirits, etc
he can hold his drink well
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to remain or cause to remain committed to
hold him to his promise
he held by his views in spite of opposition
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(tr; takes a clause as object) to claim
he holds that the theory is incorrect
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(intr) to remain relevant, valid, or true
the old philosophies don't hold nowadays
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(tr) to keep in the mind
to hold affection for someone
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(tr) to regard or consider in a specified manner
I hold him very dear
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(tr) to guard or defend successfully
hold the fort against the attack
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(intr) to continue to go
hold on one's way
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(sometimes foll by on) music to sustain the sound of (a note) throughout its specified duration
to hold on a semibreve for its full value
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(tr) computing to retain (data) in a storage device after copying onto another storage device or onto another location in the same device Compare clear
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(tr) to be in possession of illegal drugs
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to apply or be relevant to
the same rules hold for everyone
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holding the thumb of one hand with the other, in the hope of bringing good luck
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stop! wait!
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stay in the same position! as when being photographed
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to conduct oneself in a proud and confident manner
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to maintain one's situation or position esp in spite of opposition or difficulty
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to keep silent
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to prove credible, logical, or consistent
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he is so spirited or resolute that he cannot be restrained
noun
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the act or method of holding fast or grasping, as with the hands
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something to hold onto, as for support or control
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an object or device that holds fast or grips something else so as to hold it fast
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controlling force or influence
she has a hold on him
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a short delay or pause
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a prison or a cell in a prison
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wrestling a way of seizing one's opponent
a wrist hold
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music a pause or fermata
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a tenure or holding, esp of land
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( in combination )
leasehold
freehold
copyhold
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a container
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archaic a fortified place
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to obtain
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to come into contact with
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all limitations removed
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in a state of temporary postponement or delay
noun
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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holdsimple
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holdssimple
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have heldperfect
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have holdenperfect
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has heldperfect
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has holdenperfect
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am holdingprogressive
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are holdingprogressive
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is holdingprogressive
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have been holdingperfect progressive
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has been holdingperfect progressive
Past
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heldsimple
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had heldperfect
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had holdenperfect
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was holdingprogressive
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were holdingprogressive
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had been holdingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of hold1
First recorded before 900; Middle English holden, halden Old English healdan, haldan; cognate with Old Frisian, Old Norse halda, Old Saxon, Gothic haldan, Old High German haltan, German halten
Origin of hold2
First recorded in 1450–1500; late Middle English; variant of hole; cognate with Dutch hol “hole, hold”
Explanation
If you grasp something in your hands, you hold it. Be careful when you hold the puppy — he's so wriggly, and you wouldn't want to drop him! Hold also means to keep from exhaling. If you forget to hold your breath when you go underwater, you're sure to come up sputtering. The noun hold means the cargo area on a ship or airplane. When you check your bag, it's stored in the hold of the plane during the flight. If you packed your book and your snacks in it, it might make more sense to hold onto it instead.
Vocabulary lists containing hold
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Not long after recovering from the seizures, Ann was fit enough to hold Patrick's baby - her youngest granddaughter - and read her a story from the hospital bed.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Early this summer, many officials had hoped the Fed could hold off on raising rates this year if price pressures began receding on their own.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
After each pitch, the host asks audience members to hold up their paddle, which has a green thumbs up and a red thumbs down to indicate whether they agree or disagree.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
But I don’t think that the hard pass really raises those difficult issues because, again, there are 1,400 people who hold a hard pass.
From Slate ● Sep. 30, 2026
The sadness is so huge I don’t think I can bear it, but I’d rather hold on to every bit of it than not feel sad at all.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
Warm, still water holds less oxygen, creating the conditions in which botulism thrives and speeding up the growth of E. coli.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
The prison holds a mix of inmates including those convicted of violent as well as white-collar offenses such as corruption.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
The property also holds plenty of sentimental value for the pair.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
He is a leading advocate of originalism, which holds that the Constitution doesn’t change meaning on a whim.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Joey holds her breath as he reaches inside the basket.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
A community screening of the film will be held Saturday in Altadena’s Loma Alta Park.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Ferguson also said the individuals who developed AI agents would be held responsible for any wrongdoing unleashed by the models.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
Circuit held an emergency hearing in a lawsuit filed by the news outlets, and at around midnight, Judge Kelly issued a temporary restraining order to stop the White House ban for 14 days.
From Slate ● Sep. 30, 2026
Earlier this year, organisers of the event confirmed the London Marathon will be held across two days in what is said to be a momentous one-off edition of the event.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
The twentieth century held some surprises for us all: the flicker of the motion pictures, the yammer of the radio, the mounting rumble of foreign wars, the jangle of change.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
But though so near, our eyes were holden that we could not see them, and we thought we should have to leave without even a sight of the Jungfrau.
From From the Lakes of Killarney to the Golden Horn by Henry M. (Henry Martyn) Field
After Skiddaw, we walked to Ireby, the oldest market town in Cumberland, where we were greatly amused by a country dancing-school 215 holden at the Tun.
From Oxford Lectures on Poetry by Andrew Cecil Bradley
There are few whose eyes are now holden as they used to be, as to the surpassing place in the history of culture of the last three centuries of the Middle Ages.
From The Thirteenth Greatest of Centuries by James J. (James Joseph) Walsh
On the summit, which commands a very extensive prospect, a fair is annually holden.
From Curiosities of Great Britain: England and Wales Delineated Vol.1-11 Historical, Entertaining & Commercial; Alphabetically Arranged. 11 Volume set. by Thomas Cantrell Dugdale
At a Superior Court of law holden for Bath county at the court house on the 5th day of September, 1822.
“When it stops raising rates or they pause, clients that are holding cash will ride rates down just like they’re riding them up.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
The southern African country, home to the world's largest elephant population, is holding nationwide festivities on Wednesday to mark the 60th anniversary of independence from Britain.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
That’s because gold pays no interest, so as yields rise, the opportunity cost of holding the metal increases.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
Officials from the Group of 20 major economies -- which includes China, India, Russia, Japan, Canada and France -- are holding two days of intensive talks and bilateral meetings in Milwaukee.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
In this wild scene, would anyone notice an ordinary-looking young man with a bad scar on his forehead holding an iron rod?
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
