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Glite Dictionary
to hold alcohol

to hold alcohol

6.8
Can drink alcohol without getting drunk quickly
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : aguantar alcohol
  • Despite drinking several glasses of wine, she was able to hold alcohol and remained composed all evening.

Examples

  • Some people cannot hold alcohol and become tipsy very quickly.

  • He boasts that he can hold alcohol better than anyone else in the group.

  • Can you hold alcohol well?

  • She can hold alcohol better than most.

  • Despite drinking several glasses of wine, she was able to hold alcohol and remained composed all evening.

  • He boasts that he can hold alcohol better than anyone else in the group.

  • Some people cannot hold alcohol and become tipsy very quickly.

Synonyms

to hold
vsto hold alcohol
  • Informal
91 8.4

To drink alcohol without appearing drunk

is used more neutrally in general contexts rather than informally
to hold one's alcohol
vsto hold alcohol
  • Informal
1 7.8

Drink alcohol without getting drunk

is about the ability to avoid noticeable drunkenness or incapacitation
to hold one's drink
vsto hold alcohol
  • Informal
8.1

To be able to drink alcohol without getting drunk

focuses on avoiding noticeable drunkenness rather than behavioral control
to hold my alcohol
vsto hold alcohol
  • Informal
9.0

To drink alcohol without becoming very drunk or sick

focuses on avoiding noticeable drunkenness or incapacity rather than sickness

How Affected

to pass out
188 3.7
drunk
56 3.0
tipsy
  • Informal
18 4.8
to hold alcohol
  • Informal
6.8

Surface Forms

hold alcohol infinitive
held alcohol past
held alcohol past participle
holding alcohol present participle
holds alcohol third person singular

Morphology

hold + alcohol

The meaning is partly derivable because 'hold' can extend to 'contain' or 'withstand', so 'hold alcohol' suggests tolerating or not being affected by alcohol. However, this is a somewhat idiomatic extension (as in 'hold one’s liquor') and the specific sense 'not becoming noticeably drunk' is not fully predictable for a B1 learner without exposure.

Etymology

Hold alcohol may come from the simple image of a container: to hold means 'to keep' something inside, like a cup that holds wine. So if a person's body can hold alcohol, it keeps the drink without showing its effects, which is why the phrase means 'to be able to drink without becoming drunk'.