hold against

Idioms

Think badly of someone because of some fault or occurrence. For example, Even if you're late, I won't hold it against you, or She backed right into his new car, so he's bound to hold it against her. Also see bear a grudge.

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.

He told us the worst asset to hold against this backdrop, and a reasonable target for gold allocations.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

In the U.S., the Fed this summer took a step toward easing a key restriction, known as the supplementary leverage ratio, that dictates how much capital big banks must hold against their total assets.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 2, 2025

The proposal would overhaul how banks gauge risk and, in turn, how much capital they must hold against potential losses.

From Reuters • Nov. 14, 2023

The old criticisms no longer applicable, coaches recruiting against Cronin will always find something to hold against him.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2022

It was too long and too heavy for me to hold against my shoulder the way you’re supposed to.

From "My Brother Sam is Dead" by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023