If you hold out your hand or something you have in your hand, you move your hand away from your body, for example to shake hands with someone.
'I'm Nancy Drew,' she said, holding out her hand. [VERBPARTICLE noun]
Max held out his cup for a refill. [VERBPARTICLE noun (not pronoun)]
2. phrasal verb
If you hold outfor something, you refuse to accept something which you do not think is good enough or large enough, and you continue to demand more.
I should have held out for a better deal. [VERBPARTICLE + for]
He can only hold out a few more weeks. [VERBPARTICLE]
3. phrasal verb
If you say that someone is holding outon you, you think that they are refusing to give you information that you want.
[informal]
He had always believed that kids could sense it when you held out on them. [VERBPARTICLE + on]
[Also VERBPARTICLE]
4. phrasal verb
If you hold out, you manage to resist an enemy or opponent in difficult circumstances and refuse to give in.
We can't hold out against this army much longer. [VERBPARTICLE]
One prisoner was still holding out on the roof of the jail. [VERBPARTICLE]
5. phrasal verb
If you hold out hope of something happening, you hope that in the future something will happen as you want it to.
He still holds out hope that they could be a family again. [VERBPARTICLE noun]
See full dictionary entry for hold
hold out in British English
verb(adverb)
1. (transitive)
to offer or present
2. (intransitive)
to last or endure
3. (intransitive)
to continue to resist or stand firm, as a city under siege or a person refusing to succumb to persuasion
4. mainly US
to withhold (something due or expected)
5. hold out for
6. hold out on
nounholdout US
7.
a person, country, organization, etc, that continues to resist or refuses to change
one of the staunchest holdouts against reform
8.
a person, country, organization, etc, that declines to cooperate or participate
they remain the only holdouts to signing the accord
hold out in American English
1.
to last; endure; continue
2.
to continue resistance; stand firm; not yield
3.
to offer
4. US, Informal
to fail or refuse to give (what is to be given)
See full dictionary entry for hold
Examples of 'hold out' in a sentence
hold out
Then, saying a silent prayer that his good torch would hold out, he started back the way they had come.
Arthur, Robert THREE IN ONE
For when Kettricken began to hold out her hand to say such an act was not necessary, Arkon thrust out his arm.
Robin Hobb THE GOLDEN FOOL: BOOK TWO OF THE TAWNY MAN (2002)
She had called him after her briefing session with Morgan, and had hated having to hold out on him.
Val McDermid THE LAST TEMPTATION (2002)
Our windows were not broken, but the rotted wood frames and thin glass did not hold out the cold in the winter.
Terrence Chen SONS OF HEAVEN (2002)
Chinese translation of 'hold out'
hold out
vt
[hand]伸出 (shēnchū)
⇒ Sam held out his hand for the briefcase.山姆伸手拿公文包。 (Shānmǔ shēnshǒu ná gōngwénbāo.)
[hope, prospect]带(帶)来(來) (dàilái)
⇒ Science may hold out some prospect of feeding the hungry.科学为解决饥饿问题带来了希望。 (Kēxué wèi jiějué jī'è wèntí dàiláile xīwàng.)
vi
to hold out (for sth)坚(堅)决(決)要求(某物) (jiānjué yāoqiú (mǒuwù))
⇒ I should have held out for a better deal.我本该要求更好的待遇。 (Wǒ běn gāi yāoqiú gèng hǎo de dàiyù.)
See hold
Nearby words of
hold out
hold off
hold on
hold on to
hold out
hold over
hold still or hold steady
hold the line please!
All related terms of 'hold out'
to hold out (for sth)
坚(堅)决(決)要求(某物) jiānjué yāoqiú (mǒuwù) ⇒ I should have held out for a better deal. → 我本该要求更好的待遇。 Wǒ běn gāi yāoqiú gèng hǎo de dàiyù.
hold up
( lift up ) 举(舉)起 jǔqǐ ⇒ The Englishman held up the rifle. → 英国人举起了手枪。 Yīngguórén jǔqǐle shǒuqiāng.
hold over
( postpone ) 推迟(遲) tuīchí
hold on to
( grasp ) 抓住 zhuāzhù ⇒ He had to hold on to the chair to steady himself. → 他不得不抓住椅子使自己站稳。 Tā bù dé bù zhuāzhù yǐzi shǐ zìjǐ zhànwěn.
hold on
( keep hold ) 抓牢 zhuāláo ⇒ The rope was wet, but Nancy held on. → 绳子湿了，但南希仍然牢牢地抓着。 Shéngzi shī le, dàn Nánxī réngrán láoláo de zhuāzhe.
hold off
( challenge ) 使不能接近 shǐ bùnéng jiējìn ⇒ Alesi drove magnificently, holding off the challenge from Berger. → 阿勒西开得棒极了，使伯杰不能接近。 Ālèxī kāi de bàng jí le, shǐ Bójié bùnéng jiējìn.
hold forth
滔滔不绝(絕)地讲(講) tāotāo bùjué de jiǎng ⇒ Jenkins was there, holding forth on his favourite subject. → 詹金斯在那儿，滔滔不绝地讲述他最喜欢的话题。 Zhānjīnsī zàinàr, tāotāo bùjué de jiǎngshù tā zuì xǐhuan de huàtí.
hold down
( restrain : person ) 把 ... 按倒在地上 bǎ ... àndǎo zài dìshang ⇒ It took three men to hold him down. → 要3个男人才把他按在地上。 Yào sān gè nánrén cái bǎ tā àn zài dìshang.
hold back
( person, progress ) 阻拦(攔) zǔlán ⇒ She's very ambitious, so don't try to hold her back. → 她很有野心，别阻拦她。 Tā hěn yǒu yěxīn, bié zǔlán tā.
hold against
▶ to hold sth against sb 因某事对(對)某人记(記)仇 yīn mǒushì duì mǒurén jìchóu ⇒ He lost the case, but never held it against me. → 他输了这场官司，但从未因此而记恨过我。 Tā shūle zhè chǎng guānsi, dàn cóngwèi yīn cǐ ér jìhèn guo wǒ.
(phrasal verb)
Definition
to last
He can only hold out for a few more weeks.
Synonyms
last
You only need a very small amount, so the tube lasts for ages.
continue
For ten days I continued in this state.
He had hoped to continue as a full-time career officer.
carry on
Her bravery has given him the will to carry on.
endure
Somehow the language endures and continues to survive to this day.
hang on
Manchester United hung on to take the Cup.
persist
Consult your doctor if the symptoms persist.
persevere
the ability to persevere despite obstacles and setbacks
stay the course
stand fast
See hold
Additional synonyms
in the sense of carry on
Definition
to continue
Her bravery has given him the will to carry on.
Synonyms
continue,
last,
endure,
persist,
keep going,
persevere,
crack on (informal)
in the sense of continue
Definition
to remain or cause to remain in a particular condition or place
For ten days I continued in this state.He had hoped to continue as a full-time career officer.
Synonyms
remain,
last,
stay,
rest,
survive,
carry on,
live on,
endure,
stay on,
persist,
abide,
keep your hand in
in the sense of endure
Definition
to last for a long time
Somehow the language endures and continues to survive to this day.