hold

- definition

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verb

/həʊld/

present tense
I/you/we/they	hold
he/she/it	holds
present participle	holding
past tense	held
past participle	held

1
[transitive] to carry something using your hands or arms
Can you hold my bag for a moment?
hold something in/under/between something:
He held the book in his hand.
She was holding the catalogue under her arm.
Barry was holding a coin between his finger and thumb.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
1. a.
  to carry something using another part of your body
  He held the sandwich between his teeth.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
2. b.
  to carry another person
  She was holding a baby in her arms.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
2
[transitive] to support someone or something, or to stop them moving
Can you hold this parcel for me so I can tape it up?
He was held by a single rope.
hold something steady:
We had to hold our cups steady as the boat rocked.
hold something shut/still/apart etc:
Hold the torch still.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
3
[transitive] to put a part of your body into a particular position
She was holding her hand to her heart.
Ruth held her head in her hands.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
4
[transitive] to put your arms around someone because you love them or because they are unhappy
He sat beside her and held her.
hold someone tight/close:
She kissed him and held him tight.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
5
[transitive] to have something inside
The corner cupboard holds a TV and CD player.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
6
[transitive] to be able to fit an amount of something inside
How much does this jug hold?
The stadium holds 80,000 people.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
7
[transitive] if you hold a meeting or event, you organize it
The government agreed to hold a referendum.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
1. a.
  [often passive] if a meeting or event is held in a particular place or at a particular time, it takes place there at that time
  The presidential election was held on April 26.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
Collocations: hold
▪ conference, demonstration, election, inquiry, meeting, rally, referendum, seminar, talks
8
[transitive] to have something, for example a job
She is the first woman to hold this post.
He held a position of trust and responsibility.
hold office:
President Mitterrand held office for 14 years.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
1. a.
  to have an opinion about something
  She certainly holds some interesting views.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
2. b.
  formal to own money or property
  Three per cent of our shares are now held by US investors.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
3. c.
  formal to have a document that allows you to do something
  He holds a US passport.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
9
[transitive] formal to have a particular quality
The project holds a great deal of promise.
He holds no authority over us.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
1. a.
  used for talking about the feelings that something makes you have. For example, if something holds no fear for you, you are not afraid of it
  Food still held no appeal.
  Water seems to hold a fascination for him.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
2. b.
  literary if your face or voice holds a particular emotion, it shows it
  His eyes held a look of desperation.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
10
[transitive] to keep information, for example on a computer
I wanted to see what information the police held on me.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
11
[transitive] [often passive] to keep someone somewhere as a prisoner
They were arrested and held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
hold someone at gunpoint:
The family were held at gunpoint overnight.
hold someone prisoner/hostage/captive:
The four men had been held captive for over two years.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
1. a.
  to stop a train, plane etc from leaving at the right time, so that someone who is late can get on it
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
2. b.
  hold
  or
  hold on to
  to stop someone from leaving or from doing what they want
  It seemed that no man could hold her for long.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
12
[transitive] to not give something that someone wants to another person
hold a table/reservation/room/seat:
They said they’d hold the reservation for 24 hours.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
13
[transitive] to continue to have a particular feeling, especially a bad one
I no longer hold any resentment towards him.
hold a grudge:
He’s not someone who holds a grudge.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
14
[transitive] to keep an idea or picture in your mind
I tried to hold his image in my mind as I walked away.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
15
[intransitive] to continue to support a weight without breaking or being damaged
I don’t know if the walls will hold.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
1. a.
  [intransitive/transitive] to stay or keep something at a particular level
  The price has been held at £2, the same as last year.
  hold steady:
  The coffee market has held steady for a few months.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
2. b.
  [intransitive] if a promise or offer holds, it still exists
  They were pessimistic about the ceasefire holding until the spring.
  We need to find out if his offer still holds.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
3. c.
  [intransitive] if your luck or the weather holds, it continues to be good
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
4. d.
  [intransitive/transitive] to stay in the same position, for example when you are exercising
  Hold this position for a few seconds, then relax.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
5. e.
  [transitive] to continue to play or sing a note without stopping
  Hold that last note for a count of four.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
16
[transitive] used for saying what people believe
hold (that):
Conventional wisdom held that he would resign.
One school of thought holds that very few people reach their full potential.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
1. a.
  formal if a court or judge holds that something is true, the court or judge says that it is true
  hold (that):
  The court held that the defendants were guilty of trespass.
  be held to be something:
  The clause was held to be unreasonable.
  be held to have done something:
  The plaintiff was held to have acted reasonably.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
17
[intransitive/transitive] to wait in order to speak to someone on the telephone. You can also say that you hold the line
‘Do you want to call back later?’ ‘No, I’ll hold.’
Can you hold the line, please?
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
18
[transitive] to succeed in keeping control of a particular area in an election
The seat was held by Labour with a reduced majority.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
1. a.
  if an army holds an area, it has control of it and stops the enemy from getting control of it
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold

phrases

be widely/commonly/generally held
to be believed by a lot of people
It was a commonly held view in those days.
be widely/commonly/generally held (that):
It was widely held the management was out of touch with the workers.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
hold someone’s attention/interest
to keep someone interested in something
It’s hard to hold their attention for more than 15 minutes.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
hold the chilli/mustard/cream etc
mainly American spoken
used for telling someone not to give you a particular thing, especially a type of food
Give me a hot dog, and hold the mustard.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
hold a course
to keep sailing or travelling in the same direction
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
hold someone/something dear
to feel that someone or something is very important to you
This government was a threat to everything he held dear.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
hold your drink
to be able to drink a lot of alcohol without getting drunk
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
hold someone’s gaze
to look at someone who is looking at you, without moving your eyes away
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
hold good
to still exist, or to still be valuable
These assurances only hold good while he remains in office.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
hold hands
or hold someone’s hand
to put your hand around someone else’s hand
She was holding hands with Mike.
They all held hands and prayed.
Hold my hand while we cross the road.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
hold your head up/high
to not be ashamed of yourself
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
hold someone in high esteem/regard
to admire or respect someone very much
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
hold it
spoken
1. 1
  used for telling someone not to move
  Just hold it right there! Where do you think you’re going with that?
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
2. 2
  used for telling someone to wait
  Hold it, you two! Wait for us!
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
3. 3
  used for showing that something has made you angry or surprised
  Hold it a minute! Are you saying he’s not coming?
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
hold the key (to something)
to make it possible to explain or solve something
Tourism holds the key to the region’s recovery.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
hold your own
to be as good as someone more experienced or stronger, for example in an argument or discussion
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
hold someone responsible/accountable/liable
to believe that someone is responsible for something
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
hold the road
if a vehicle holds the road well, it is easy to control, even when you drive fast around bends
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
hold still
spoken
used for telling someone not to move
Hold still while I brush your hair.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
hold that thought
spoken
used for telling someone not to forget something
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
hold tight
spoken
1. 1
  used for telling someone to hold something, so that they do not drop it or so that they do not fall
  Hold tight when we go round the corner!
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
2. 2
  used for telling someone to wait and not do anything or not worry
  Hold tight there and I’ll go and get him.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
hold true
to be true, or to remain true
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
hold yourself
to sit, stand, or move in a particular way
He held himself with an easy confidence.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
tradition/legend/myth holds (that)
used for saying what happened according to a traditional story
Tradition holds Jesus Christ was born on this site.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold
what the future holds
what is likely to happen in the future
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hold

phrasal verbs

showmance

a romantic relationship between two members of the cast of a play, film or television series

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hold

hold on to

phrases

be widely/commonly/generally held

hold someone’s attention/interest

hold the chilli/mustard/cream etc

hold a course

hold someone/something dear

hold your drink

hold someone’s gaze

hold good

hold hands

or hold someone’s hand

hold your head up/high

hold someone in high esteem/regard

hold it

hold the key (to something)

hold your own

hold someone responsible/accountable/liable

hold the road

hold still

hold that thought

hold tight

hold true

hold yourself

tradition/legend/myth holds (that)

what the future holds

phrasal verbs

showmance

Word of the Day

soapstone

human-readable