hold on

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See also: holdon and Holdon

English

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Pronunciation

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Verb

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hold on (third-person singular simple present holds on, present participle holding on, simple past and past participle held on)

  1. To grasp or grip firmly.
    Hold on tightly to the railing.
  2. (idiomatic) To keep; to store something for someone.
    Hold on to my umbrella while I ride the roller coaster.
  3. (idiomatic) To retain an advantage.
    I'm holding on to my trump cards until I really need them.
  4. (idiomatic) Wait a short while.
    Hold on while I get my coat.
    • 1921, Ben Travers, chapter 5, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:
      The departure was not unduly prolonged. In the road Mr. Love and the driver favoured the company with a brief chanty running. “Got it?—No, I ain't, 'old on,—Got it? Got it?—No, 'old on sir.”
  5. (idiomatic) To remain loyal.
    He didn't give up his fandom when others did; he held on.
  6. (idiomatic) To persist.

Usage notes

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The phrasal verb hold on is intransitive, but the phrasal verb hold on to is transitive.

Synonyms

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Translations

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Anagrams

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