hold on
Britishverb
-
to maintain a firm grasp
she held on with all her strength
-
to continue or persist
-
(foll by to) to keep or retain
hold on to those stamps as they'll soon be valuable
-
to keep a telephone line open
interjection
-
Also, hold on to . Maintain one's grip, cling, as in Hold on to your hat in this wind , or The early Christians held on to their beliefs despite strong opposition . [Early 1500s]
-
Continue to do something, persist, as in Please hold on for a while longer . [Late 1800s]
-
Stop, wait, as in Hold on! We can't go past this gate . [Mid-1800s]
-
Remain on a telephone line, as in If you can hold on a minute I'll go and find her . [Late 1800s]
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.
Camille loosens her hold on my shirt but doesn’t budge from the doorway.
From Literature
But hold on to it all the time, mind you.
From Literature
He felt like he was barely holding on now.
From Literature
If you went away for an hour or so and came back, she’d look exactly the same: on her back, eyes closed, face white like milk, hands holding on tight to the spread.
From Literature
In mid-January 2026, Bruce Springsteen made a “surprise” appearance at the annual Light of Day charity concert held on the Jersey Shore.
From Salon
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.
