hold

[ hohld ]

/ hoʊld /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: hold / held / holding / holds on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), held; held or (Archaic) hold·en; hold·ing.

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.

to set aside; reserve or retain: to hold merchandise until called for; to hold a reservation.

to bear, sustain, or support, as with the hands or arms, or by any other means.

to keep in a specified state, relation, etc.: The preacher held them spellbound.

to detain: The police held him at the station house.

to engage in; preside over; carry on: to hold a meeting.

to keep back from action; hinder; restrain: Fear held him from acting.

to have the ownership or use of; keep as one's own; occupy: to hold political office.

to contain or be capable of containing: This bottle holds a quart.

to bind or make accountable to an obligation: We will hold you to your promise to pay back the money.

to have or keep in the mind; think or believe: We hold this belief.

to regard or consider: to hold a person responsible.

to decide legally.

to consider of a certain value; rate: We held her best of all the applicants.

to keep forcibly, as against an adversary: Enemy forces held the hill.

to point, aim, or direct: He held a gun on the prisoner. The firefighter held a hose on the blaze.

Music. to sustain (a note, chord, or rest).

to omit from the usual order or combination: Give me a burger well-done—hold the pickle.

verb (used without object), held; held or (Archaic) hold·en; hold·ing.

to remain or continue in a specified state, relation, etc.: Hold still while I take your picture.

to remain fast; adhere; cling: Will this button hold?

to keep or maintain a grasp on something.

to maintain one's position against opposition; continue in resistance.

to agree or side (usually followed by with): to hold with new methods.

to hold property by some tenure; derive title (usually followed by by, from, in, or of).

to remain attached, faithful, or steadfast (usually followed by to): to hold to one's purpose.

to remain valid; be in force: The rule does not hold.

to refrain or forbear (usually used imperatively).

noun

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?

something to hold a thing by, as a handle; something to grasp, especially for support.

something that holds fast or supports something else.

an order reserving something: to put a hold on a library book.

Finance. a security purchased or recommended for long-term growth.

a controlling force or dominating influence: to have a hold on a person.

Wrestling. a method of seizing an opponent and keeping him in control: a toe hold.

Music. fermata.

a pause or delay, as in a continuing series: a hold in the movements of a dance.

a prison or prison cell.

a receptacle for something: a basket used as a hold for letters.

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.

a fortified place; stronghold.

(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 Phrases

hold back,

to restrain or check: Police held back the crowd.
to retain possession of; keep back: He held back ten dollars.
to refrain from revealing; withhold: to hold back information.
to refrain from participating or engaging in some activity: He held back from joining in the singing because he felt depressed.
Photography. dodge (def. 2).

hold down,

to restrain; check: Hold down that noise!
to continue to hold and manage well: She held down that job for years.

hold forth,

to extend or offer; propose.
to talk at great length; harangue: When we left, he was still holding forth on World War II.

hold in,

to restrain; check; curb.
to contain oneself; exercise restraint: He was raging inside, but held himself in for fear of saying something he would regret.

hold off,

to keep at a distance; resist; repel.
to postpone action; defer: If you hold off applying for a passport, you may not get one in time.

hold on,

to keep a firm grip on.
to keep going; continue.
to maintain, as one's opinion or position.
to stop; halt (usually used imperatively): Hold on now! That isn't what I meant at all.
to keep a telephone connection open by not hanging up the receiver: The operator asked us to hold on while the number we'd dialed was being checked.

hold out,

to present; offer.
to stretch forth; extend: Hold out your hand.
to continue to exist; last: Will the food hold out?
to refuse to yield or submit: The defenders held out for weeks.
to withhold something expected or due: He was suspected of holding out information important to the case.

hold over,

to keep for future consideration or action; postpone.
to remain in possession or in office beyond the regular term.
to remain beyond the arranged period: The movie was held over for a week.
Music. to prolong (a tone) from one measure to the next.

hold up,

to offer; give: She held up his father as an example to follow.
to present to notice; expose: to hold someone up to ridicule.
to hinder; delay: The plane's departure was held up because of the storm.
to stop by force in order to rob.
to support; uphold: to hold up farm prices.
to stop; halt: They held up at the gate.
to maintain one's position or condition; endure: They held up through all their troubles.

hold with,

to be in agreement with; concur with: I don't hold with his pessimistic views.
to approve of; condone: They won't hold with such a travesty of justice.

SYNONYMS FOR hold

8 possess, own.

11 embrace, espouse, have.

12 deem, esteem, judge.

19 persist, last, endure.

20 stick.

See synonyms for hold on Thesaurus.com

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”

Are you aware how often people swap around “their,” “there,” and “they’re”? Prove you have more than a fair grasp over these commonly confused words.

Question 1 of 7

Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?

their

there

they're

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for hold

get hold of,

to get a hold on: Get hold of the railing.
to communicate with, especially by telephone: If she's not at home, try to get hold of her at the office.

hold one's own. own (def. 11).

hold one's peace. peace (def. 14).

hold one's tongue. tongue (def. 33).

hold water. water (def. 37).

no holds barred, without limits, rules, or restraints.

on hold,

in or into a state of temporary interruption or suspension: The project will be put on hold until funds become available.
Telecommunications. in or into a state of temporary interruption in a telephone connection: I'm putting you on hold to answer another call.Compare call waiting.

Origin of hold

before 900; Middle English holden,Old English h(e)aldan; cognate with Old Frisian, Old Norse halda,Old Saxon, Gothic haldan,Old High German haltan (German halten)

synonym study for hold

8. See have. 9. See contain. 11. See maintain.

OTHER WORDS FROM hold

hold·a·ble, adjective

Words nearby hold

Holarctic, Holbein, Holberg, Holbrook, HOLC, hold, hold a candle to, not, hold against, hold a grudge, hold a gun to someone's head, holdall

Definition for hold (2 of 2)

hold²

[ hohld ]

/ hoʊld /

noun

Nautical.

the entire cargo space in the hull of a vessel.
the cargo space in the hull of a vessel between the lowermost deck and the bottom.
any individual compartment of such cargo spaces, closed by bulkheads and having its own hatchway.

Aviation. the cargo compartment of an aircraft.

Origin of hold

1585–95; variant of hole; cognate with Dutch hol hole, hold

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for hold

Observations they had planned for the spring were put on hold by the coronavirus pandemic.
Phosphine gas found in Venus’ atmosphere may be ‘a possible sign of life’|Lisa Grossman|September 14, 2020|Science News
They are readily available, and I never have to wait on hold for an hour.
Only three of 26 Obamacare-era nonprofit health insurance co-ops will soon remain|lbelanger225|September 6, 2020|Fortune
Hartman said he was told the hold was due to unspecified operational issues.
AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine enters final-stage trial in the U.S.|Claire Zillman, reporter|September 1, 2020|Fortune
His factory, which employs 14 people, was shut for more than two months, with most first-half orders put on hold.
Can Italy’s Fashion Artisans Survive COVID?|Charu Kasturi|August 30, 2020|Ozy

In March, as the Coronavirus crisis was beginning to take hold, agencies conducted tests to see how viable remote work was before sending employees home for what many thought would be just a few weeks.
‘Necessary to attract talent’: How agencies are managing employees’ requests to move to different states|Kristina Monllos|August 26, 2020|Digiday
Blacks would hold about 13 percent of the seats and Latinos 17 percent.
The Unbearable Whiteness of Congress|Dean Obeidallah|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Tomorrow they should hold placards of the cartoons Charlie Hebdo had printed.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Our Duty Is to Keep Charlie Hebdo Alive|Ayaan Hirsi Ali|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Yeah, the “Giant man-puppy” that is Gronkowski won't hold a sexual candle to the blue-eyed dreamboat.
‘A Gronking to Remember’ Speed Read: 8 Naughtiest Bits|Emily Shire|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But how much they have regained or how durable their hold is remains unclear.
Pentagon Doesn’t Know How Many People It’s Killed in the ISIS War|Nancy A. Youssef|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But that would now have to be put on hold because he had been shot in the Bronx.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Most of the men leaped up, caught hold of spears or knives, and rushed out.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
He was too drowsy to hold the thought more than a moment in his mind, much less to reflect upon it.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
One adorable smile she gave him, and before he could advance to hold the door for her, she had opened it and passed out.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
Not being sufficiently numerous to hold out the town as well as the Alamo, they retreated into the latter.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
He was well set in the form of a man now, the months since his imprisonment having brought him much to fasten upon and hold.
The Bondboy|George W. (George Washington) Ogden

British Dictionary definitions for hold (1 of 2)

hold¹

/ (həʊld) /

verb holds, holding or held (hɛld)

to have or keep (an object) with or within the hands, arms, etc; clasp

(tr) to support or bearto hold a drowning man's head above water

to maintain or be maintained in a specified state or conditionto hold one's emotions in check; hold firm

(tr) to set aside or reservethey will hold our tickets until tomorrow

(when intr, usually used in commands) to restrain or be restrained from motion, action, departure, etchold that man until the police come

(intr) to remain fast or unbrokenthat cable won't hold much longer

(intr) (of the weather) to remain dry and brighthow long will the weather hold?

(tr) to keep the attention ofher singing held the audience

(tr) to engage in or carry onto hold a meeting

(tr) to have the ownership, possession, etc, ofhe holds a law degree from London; who's holding the ace of spades?

(tr) to have the use of or responsibility forto hold the office of director

(tr) to have the space or capacity forthe carton will hold only eight books

(tr) to be able to control the outward effects of drinking beer, spirits, etche can hold his drink well

(often foll by to or by) to remain or cause to remain committed tohold him to his promise; he held by his views in spite of opposition

(tr; takes a clause as object) to claimhe holds that the theory is incorrect

(intr) to remain relevant, valid, or truethe old philosophies don't hold nowadays

(tr) to keep in the mindto hold affection for someone

(tr) to regard or consider in a specified mannerI hold him very dear

(tr) to guard or defend successfullyhold the fort against the attack

(intr) to continue to gohold on one's way

(sometimes foll by on) music to sustain the sound of (a note) throughout its specified durationto hold on a semibreve for its full value

(tr) computing to retain (data) in a storage device after copying onto another storage device or onto another location in the same deviceCompare clear (def. 49)

(tr) to be in possession of illegal drugs

hold for or hold good for to apply or be relevant tothe same rules hold for everyone

holding thumbs Southern African holding the thumb of one hand with the other, in the hope of bringing good luck

hold it!

stop! wait!
stay in the same position! as when being photographed

hold one's head high to conduct oneself in a proud and confident manner

hold one's own to maintain one's situation or position esp in spite of opposition or difficulty

hold one's peace or hold one's tongue to keep silent

hold water to prove credible, logical, or consistent

there is no holding him he is so spirited or resolute that he cannot be restrained

noun

the act or method of holding fast or grasping, as with the hands

something to hold onto, as for support or control

an object or device that holds fast or grips something else so as to hold it fast

controlling force or influenceshe has a hold on him

a short delay or pause

a prison or a cell in a prison

wrestling a way of seizing one's opponenta wrist hold

music a pause or fermata

a tenure or holding, esp of land
(in combination)leasehold; freehold; copyhold

a container

archaic a fortified place

get hold of

to obtain
to come into contact with

no holds barred all limitations removed

on hold in a state of temporary postponement or delay

See also hold back, hold down, hold forth, hold in, hold off, hold on, hold out, hold over, hold together, hold-up, hold with

Derived forms of hold

holdable, adjective

Word Origin for hold

Old English healdan; related to Old Norse halla, Gothic haldan, German halten

British Dictionary definitions for hold (2 of 2)

hold²

/ (həʊld) /

noun

the space in a ship or aircraft for storing cargo

Word Origin for hold

C16: variant of hole

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with hold

hold

In addition to the idioms beginning with hold

hold a candle to, not
hold against
hold a grudge
hold a gun to someone's head
hold all the aces
hold at bay
hold back
hold court
hold down
hold everything
hold forth
hold good
hold it
hold no brief for
hold off
hold on
hold one's breath
hold one's end up
hold one's fire
hold one's head high
hold one's horses
hold one's own
hold one's peace
hold one's temper
hold one's tongue
hold on to
hold on to your hat
hold out
hold out on
hold over
hold someone's feet to the fire
hold still for
hold sway over
hold the bag
hold the fort
hold the line
hold the phone
hold the purse strings
hold to
hold true
hold up
hold water
hold with
hold your

also see:

(hold) at bay
bear (hold) a grudge
get hold of
hang (hold) on to your hat
have a hold over
lay hold of
leave holding the bag
no holds barred
on hold
(hold the) purse strings
stand (hold) one's ground
take hold

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

hold

verb (used with object), held; held or (Archaic) hold·en; hold·ing.

verb (used without object), held; held or (Archaic) hold·en; hold·ing.