hold

SayHOHLD/hoʊld/UK/həʊld/

41 meanings of hold

1
with your handsverbtransitive
To have something in your hand or arms.
Hold my hand when we cross the street.
She held the baby against her shoulder.
UsagePast form held (not ~~incorrect: holded~~). Say hold something in your hand.
Similargrip, grasp, clutch, grab, clasp
Oppositerelease, drop
Note
2
organize (event)verbtransitive
To plan and run an event or meeting.
The school fair is held every spring.
We hold a meeting every Friday.
UsageOften be held: the party was held at her house.
Similarhost, organize, stage, conduct, convene
Oppositecancel
3
keep owningverbtransitive
To have something, such as land or a job, and keep it.
He held the same job for ten years.
My grandparents still hold the land their parents bought.
UsageSay hold the record for something or hold a job.
Similarkeep, have, possess, own, occupy
Oppositerelinquish, lose, surrender
4
containverbtransitive
To have something inside, or to have room for a certain amount.
This bottle holds two liters of water.
The hall can hold two thousand people.
UsageAsk how much does it hold?
Similarcontain, accommodate, take, seat
5
verbtransitive
To stop someone or something from moving or acting freely, by force or by a rule.
Hold your tongue until she finishes talking.
Two friends held him back from the fight.
Similarcontain, restrain, confine, trap
Oppositerelease, free
Note
6
think thatverbtransitive
To believe something, or to decide that something is true, as a court does.
She holds that index funds beat managed ones.
Some people hold that breakfast is the most important meal.
UsageSay hold that something is true.
Similarconsider, believe, judge, deem, maintain
Note
7
keep prisonerverbtransitive
To keep someone locked up and not let them go.
The police can only hold him until morning.
Two men were held overnight for questioning.
UsageOften be held: held hostage.
Similardetain, keep, imprison, confine, jail
Oppositerelease, free, liberate
8
delayverbtransitive
To stop or wait, or to make someone or something stop or wait.
Hold the elevator!
They held the flight for the late passengers.
UsageSay hold on a moment to ask someone to wait briefly.
Similarstop, delay, keep
9
make responsibleverbtransitive
To make someone take responsibility for what they did, or make them keep a promise.
He was held responsible for his men's actions.
You can't hold a child to a deal he made when he was five.
UsageSay hold someone responsible for something.
Similarbind, keep
Oppositerelease, absolve
10
verbintransitive
To stay in one piece and not break.
The rope held.
Will the dam hold in a flood?
Similarlast, endure, stand, survive
Oppositebreak, give, collapse, yield
11
verbtransitive
To keep something going without stopping or changing.
The runners tried to hold a fast pace for the whole race.
The ship held its course through the storm.
Similarmaintain, keep, continue, sustain, pursue
Oppositeabandon
Note
12
verbintransitive
To keep your body, or a thing, in a certain position or state.
Hold your arm still while the nurse gives you the shot.
Hold still while I fix your tie.
UsageSay hold still or hold steady.
Similarstay, keep, remain

Less common meanings

13
verbarchaicintransitive
To happen at a certain time or place.
Similaroccur, meet, sit, convene
14
nouncountable or uncountable
The act of holding something, or the way you grip it.
The baby's hold on my finger was surprisingly strong.
He lost his hold and fell.
UsageSay take hold of or get hold of something.
Similargrip, grasp, clasp
15
noununcountable
When a phone call stays connected but you must wait before someone talks to you.
I was on hold for ten minutes.
The music they play on hold is awful.
UsageSay put someone on hold.
16
temporary blocknouncountable
An arrangement to keep something for someone or to stop it being used for a while.
The senator placed a hold on the bill.
There is a hold on that library book until Friday.
UsageSay put a hold on something.
Similarfreeze, delay
17
be trueverbintransitive
To still be true or still count.
The proposition holds.
Does the offer still hold?
UsageSay hold true: the rule holds true here.
Similarapply, stand
Note
18
verbtransitive
To save something for someone so they can have it later.
Hold a table for us at seven.
The shop held the dress until Friday.
UsageSay hold a seat for someone.
Similarreserve, save, keep, book
19
leave outverbtransitiveimperative
Used when ordering food to ask for one usual part to be left out.
One ham and cheese, hold the mustard.
I'll have a cheeseburger, but hold the pickles.
UsageSay it after the food: fries, hold the salt.
Similarskip, omit, nix
Oppositeadd
Note
20
nouncountable
Power or control over someone or something, or a strong grip on it.
The old gang still has a hold on this part of town.
Drink had a terrible hold on him.
UsageSay have a hold on someone.
Similargrip, control, power, influence, grasp
21
place to gripnouncountable
A part you can grip with your hands or feet, as when climbing.
The climber felt for a hold above her head.
The cliff had few holds, and all of them were wet.
Similargrip, purchase
22
cargo spacenouncountable
The space in a ship or plane where goods and bags are carried.
Our dog had to fly in the plane's hold.
The hold was full of grain.
Note
23
wrestlingnouncountable
In wrestling, a grip used to control the other fighter.
The coach taught us a hold that stops the other wrestler from rolling.
Some holds are banned in school wrestling.
Similargrip, lock
Note
24
styling strengthnouncountable or uncountable
How well a hair product keeps hair in place.
Sculpting gel gives a stiffer hold than mousse.
This spray has a light hold.
UsageSay firm hold or flexible hold.
Note
25
carry drugsverbslangintransitive
To have illegal drugs with you to sell.
The first thing clients asked was, are you holding?
Call him tomorrow. He isn't holding today.
UsageYou can ask Are you holding? without naming the drug.
Note
26
not pee yetverbtransitive
To stop yourself from going to the bathroom when you need to go.
Can you hold it until we get home?
The kids held it for the whole bus ride.
UsagePeople say hold it when they can't get to a toilet yet.
Note
27
tennisverbtransitive or intransitive
In tennis, to win a game when you are the one serving.
He needs to hold his serve to stay in the match.
She held easily in the first set.
Oppositelose
Note
28
keep audienceverbtransitive
To keep someone interested in something, so they keep watching or listening for a while.
It's hard to hold a little kid's attention for an hour.
The story held my interest right to the last page.
UsageSay hold your attention or hold your interest.
Similarengage, captivate, grip
Note
29
bear weightverbtransitive
To carry the weight of something and keep it up without breaking or falling down.
Don't climb that branch, it won't hold you.
Will that old branch hold my weight if I climb on it?
UsageSay a shelf can hold ten kilos.
Similarsupport, bear, carry
Note
30
verbarchaic
To stop yourself from doing something.
His dauntless heart would fain have held / From weeping, but his eyes rebelled.
1685, John Dryden, Threnodia Augustalis: A Funeral Pindaric Poem
31
verbarchaic
To have a right or title that comes from someone else.
His imagination holds immediately from nature.
1817, William Hazlitt, The Round Table
32
noun
A safe pen for animals.
33
noun
An exercise where you stay still in one position for a while.
34
noun
The part of the money bet that the casino keeps.
35
noun
All the money people bet.
36
noun
In tennis, winning the game when you serve.
37
noun
A slot machine button that stops some wheels from spinning.
38
noundated
A feature in old video games that stops play so you can carry on later.
A hold facility is available; H holds, and S restarts.
1983, New Generation Software, Knot in 3D (video game instruction leaflet)
39
noun
Baseball credit for a reliever who protects a lead in danger, gets an out, then leaves the game.
40
noun
An area of the sky where planes circle while they wait for permission to land or go on.
41
adjectiveobsolete
Kind and loyal.
at the proper moment, I stepped forward with a gay heart and a hold one
1854, Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Passages from a Relinquished Work”

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–21, 23–29

From Old English healdan, which meant to tend or herd. It goes back to older Germanic roots.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

Hold derives from Old English healdan. en.wikisource.org
Old English healdan could mean to tend or herd animals. en.wiktionary.org
Healdan descends from older Germanic forms. en.wiktionary.org

Meaning 22

A changed form of the word hole, altered because of the word hold.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

The cargo-space noun hold is an alteration of hole under the influence of hold. en.wiktionary.org