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:
“We sincerely hope that this review is not merely a pretense for removing California’s ability to hold public hearings on offshore oil and gas projects,” said Kate Huckelbridge, executive director of the Coastal Commission.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
"If you hold the colander to the Sun and you look away from the Sun, protecting your eyes, you can make not just one picture of the Sun but a hundred all at once."
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
You can also hold your mutual funds until you die, at which point they would go into your estate at a stepped-up cost basis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Someone has me hold their phone while they dive through shorebreak.
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 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
Other times, a sergeant holds a personal grudge, or the officers on your cellblock simply don’t like you.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
I work from the tail toward the head until my plate holds just a frame, some skin, one or two fries I’m saving for no good reason.
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026
Prior to her death, Friends of Big Bear Valley acknowledged it’s impossible to know what the future holds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
In contrast, 41% of all men invest, which holds steady at 40% of those under 45.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
She holds on as I walk stiff-legged to the bathroom.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
“This conflicts with a federally registered trademark held by Buc-ee’s,” the company said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
People suspected of the worst crimes will also have to be released instead of being held in custody ahead of their trials.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
If you eventually turned the cash over to the Los Angeles Police Department, it would be held for 90 days while they try to locate the owner.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
“We locked eyes, and we’ve been close friends ever since, danced at each other’s weddings, held each other’s babies,” says Winograde, speaking via videoconference from Rovner’s Encino home.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Father held the baby close, his white beard brushed its cheek, looking into the little face with eyes as blue and innocent as the baby’s own.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
This, were I not holden by penury unjustly, would be possible.
From Transcendentalism in New England A History by Frothingham, Octavius Brooks
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
At a Superior Court of law holden for Bath county at the court house on the 5th day of September, 1822.
They were to have on them the name of the count, of the accuser, and of the accused, the charge, and the place where the court was to be holden.
From Secret Societies of the Middle Ages by Keightley, Thomas
It was holden early on a Sunday morning; and the strictest secrecy, as to what took place, was enjoined on all present, for secrecy was the soul of the order.
From Secret Societies of the Middle Ages by Keightley, Thomas
Two weeks later, I noticed the fire and safety team walking through the prison, holding clipboards, testing alarms, and inspecting extinguishers.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
It lost that title in 2020 amid coronavirus travel restrictions before regaining it in 2023, holding it ever since.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Under the Oaktree deal, his family holding firm is injecting $150 million and won’t receive the common-stock dividends that have paid out billions over the years to its majority owner.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
The storied conglomerate announced Saturday that after building a record cash holding of $397.4 billion at the end of the first quarter, it spent $31.9 billion, whittling those holdings down to $365.5 billion.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
I’m outside, too, carried out by the Hecht’s throng, holding wrapped-paper parcels in my arms that I’m vaguely aware I didn’t pay for.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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.
