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:
The decision to hold the conference online if at all comes as economic pressures on the kingdom intensify.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
The drier and warmer theme has also taken hold in India, where the essential monsoon rainfall has been 13% below average.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
The new mayor of the state capital, Mekelle, told AFP on Monday they will hold elections within six months.
From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026
This reinforces the fundamental truth that the market is incredibly difficult to beat consistently, and therefore that our default investment strategy should be to buy and hold index funds.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026
It was large enough to hold a person.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
As chair of Metro’s 13-person board, Bass holds vast power over the Los Angeles County bus and rail network.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
He holds monthly strategy sessions with other top laundromat content creators, and said the genre is undergoing a reboot.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
If the technology group begins to underperform while the rest of the market holds up, stocks could start trading more closely together, and correlations could rise.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 18, 2026
President Isaac Herzog, who holds a mostly ceremonial role, called Levine in hospital on Saturday, saying the attack was "outrageous and shocking" and weighed on his conscience.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
You dig through your backpack for the beaded bag that holds your supplies—the one Auntie Maggie gave you when you were eleven—get sorted.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
In the court room, Muñoz held a hand over his heart as he waved to his family in the first row of the gallery.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
Dussehra also marks the beginning of preparations for Diwali - the festival of lights - which is held 20 days later.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
A former OpenAI employee accused of planting a recording device at the company's San Francisco offices was ordered held without bail Monday after a federal judge deemed him a flight risk.
From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026
He needs to take that into consideration when trying to reach the highest elected office any Muslim has ever held.
From Slate ● Oct. 19, 2026
Only about children did we disagree: Karel wanted four, while I held out stubbornly for six.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Rather should I take comfort in that He, Who hath power over all, is holden as my pledge.
From Aucassin & Nicolette And Other Mediaeval Romances and Legends by Eugene Mason
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
William d'Owe was accused in a Councell holden at Salisbury, to bee a complice of this Treason.
From The Lives of the III Normans, Kings of England: William the First, William the Second, Henrie the First by John Hayward
Maddened almost to frenzy he would have rushed towards her, but he was firmly holden by a power superior to his own.
From The Legendary and Poetical Remains of John Roby author of 'Traditions of Lancashire', with a sketch of his literary life and character by John Roby
In Kent all land is presumed to be holden by this tenure until the contrary is proved, but some lands have been disgavelled by particular statutes.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 5 "Gassendi, Pierre" to "Geocentric" by Various
OTTAWA—Canadian inflation ticked higher last month as prices at the pump jumped again, though underlying price pressures look to be holding steady.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
"The island has been holding on to its secrets and it continues to do so. I think eventually someone will find conclusive evidence here," he added.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
However, I have decades of practice holding back my inner She-Hulk.
From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2026
The animal appears to be holding an object resembling a musical instrument.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026
Mr. Andrews stands with a man carrying a modern-looking camera and a younger woman holding other pieces of photography equipment.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
