to hold
- verb
- /hoʊld/
- To help build the sense of self-efficacy in his fourth-grade students, Adrian holds regular reading conferences.
- hold water
- hold a collection
- hold buffer stocks
These are plastic containers that hold the soil in place.
- These are plastic containers that hold the soil in place.
- And then I want to know what the future holds for big Nick Collins.
- Also, a place that holds so many of my memories.
Examples
-
The bottle is designed to hold up to two liters of water.
-
You know, they make these that hold more than eight songs.
-
These are plastic containers that hold the soil in place.
-
This is the little pouch that holds the earbuds.
-
Altogether, the Alaskan Arctic coast appears to hold at least 27 billion barrels of oil.
Academic text (2008) -
For instance, a goldfish bowl large enough to hold one million goldfish could also hold a whale.
Academic text (2013) -
The box can hold many books without breaking.
-
This backpack is spacious enough to hold a laptop and some clothes.
Synonyms
Need a certain amount of time or space
To have something inside like a box or book
Have something available for use
Have enough space for people or things
Antonyms
Idioms
- Informal
To feel angry at someone for something they did in the past that hurt you
- Informal
Make someone do what they promised or take responsibility by pressuring them
Ask anyone who objects to speak now or be silent forever
- Informal
To have the only responsibility for a hard problem when others avoid it
- Slang
A joking request to someone to hold your drink before doing something daring
- Slang
A joking way to say you will try something daring or foolish after someone else does
To support two opposite sides at the same time to please both
Phrasal Verbs
- Specialized
To have the right given by the government to make or sell an invention
Compounds
- NSFW
A tight arm around someone's neck from behind to stop them moving or make them pass out
- Jargon
A position where someone wraps their legs around an opponent's body or head and presses their feet together to squeeze
- Jargon
A wrestler wraps their legs around someone's body or head and squeezes them with the feet
How Much
Surface Forms
Etymology
Hold comes from the Old English healdan, meaning 'to keep' or 'contain', which is why we say a box or room 'holds' things — it 'keeps' them inside.