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Glite Dictionary
to hold one's alcohol

to hold one's alcohol

1 7.8
Drink alcohol without getting drunk
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : aguantar el alcohol
  • At the wedding, everyone was surprised that James could hold his alcohol while others became tipsy after just a few drinks.

Examples

  • Unlike most of her friends, Lisa can hold her alcohol and still remain composed at social events.

  • You said you could hold your alcohol.

    Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

  • Gopal drank slowly because he knew that he could not hold his alcohol.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • She usually handles parties well because she can hold her alcohol without getting drunk.

Synonyms

to hold
vsto hold one's alcohol
  • Informal
91 8.4

To drink alcohol without appearing drunk

is the neutral expression used broadly, not the informal form
to hold one's drink
vsto hold one's alcohol
  • Informal
8.1

To be able to drink alcohol without getting drunk

is about not showing intoxication rather than avoiding loss of control
to hold alcohol
vsto hold one's alcohol
  • Informal
6.8

Can drink alcohol without getting drunk quickly

focuses on not showing signs rather than total incapacitation
to hold my alcohol
vsto hold one's alcohol
  • Informal
9.0

To drink alcohol without becoming very drunk or sick

is a general description of ability, not a personal claim

How Tolerant

to hold one's alcohol
  • Informal
1 7.8
cheap drunk
  • Informal
1 8.6

Surface Forms

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

Morphology

hold + one + alcohol

The phrase is built from obviously-known parts—'hold' + 'one's' + 'alcohol'—and conveys the idea of being able to tolerate or manage alcohol; this makes the meaning partly inferable to a learner who knows the words. However, 'hold' here has a metaphorical sense of 'withstand/tolerate' rather than a literal meaning, so the relation is not fully literal or guaranteed without prior exposure, though similar constructions exist in many languages.

Etymology

Hold one's alcohol may come from the simple image of a person who can hold the alcohol in their stomach instead of throwing up or stumbling. That's why it now means 'not get drunk' or 'not show you are drunk'.