hold on
— phrasal verb with hold uk/həʊld/us/hoʊld/verb held, held
(WAIT)
B1 informal used to tell someone to wait for a short time:
Hold on, I'll check in my diary.
C1 informal used to say that you are confused or surprised by something that you have just heard or read and want to understand it:
Now hold on, Ed, that wasn't what we agreed at all!
C1 to manage to stay alive or to deal with a difficult situation:
We just had to hold on until help arrived.
More examples
- "Are you ready?" "No, hold on."
- Hold on. I'll be ready in just a moment.
- Hold on! I'm not ready.
- We've got to go now. We can't hold on any longer.
- Hold on. I need to find my glasses.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Delaying and wasting time
- ado
- be on ice idiom
- bugger
- bugger about
- bugger sb about
- carry
- hold
- hold sb/sth back
- hold sb/sth up
- hold up
- ice
- kick
- kick the can down the road idiom
- push
- retardation
- set sth/sb back
- shelve
- sit
- sit on sth
- spin your wheels idiom
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Linguistics: expressions telling people to stop doing something
Expressions of surprise
Dealing with things or people
Life and living
Experiencing and suffering
(HOLD)
to hold something or someone firmly with your hands or arms:
She held on tightly to his waist.
More examples
- He took my hand and held on very tightly.
- She grabbed the door handle and held on, even when the car drove off.
- While I'm up the ladder, you just hold on at the bottom.
- Grab the rope and hold on - then we'll pull you in.
- Why on earth did you let go of the wheel? You've got to hold on all the time while the vehicle is moving.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Having in your hands
- ahold
- arm
- clasp
- clench
- cling
- cradle
- cup
- dandle
- enfold
- glove
- grasp
- hand
- hand in hand idiom
- handle
- hang
- hang on
- hang/hold on like grim death idiom
- hold
- hold onto sb/sth
- pinion
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