Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.

Hold On

Definition: Hold On

Hold On

Verb

1. Hold firmly.

2. Stop and wait, as if awaiting further instructions or developments; "Hold on a moment!"; "We broke at noon".

3. Be persistent, refuse to stop; "he persisted to call me every night"; "The child persisted and kept asking questions".

4. Hold the phone line open; "Please hang on while I get your folder".

5. Retain possession of; "Can I keep my old stuffed animals?" "She kept her maiden name after she married".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 


Specialty Definition: Hold On

DomainDefinition

Literature

Hold On Cling fast; to persist. The idea is clinging firmly to something to prevent falling or being overset. Source: Brewer's Dictionary.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Synonyms: Hold On

Synonyms: break (v), grasp (v), grip (v), hang in (v), hang on (v), hold the line (v), keep (v), persevere (v), persist (v), stop (v). (additional references)
Antonym: lose (v). (additional references)

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Synonyms within Context: Hold On

ContextSynonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus).

Continuance in action

Verb: continue, persist; go on, jog on, keep on, run on, hold on; abide, keep, pursue, stick to its course, take its course, maintain its course; carry on, keep up.

Keep going, keep alive, keep the pot boiling, keep up the ball, keep up the good work; die in harness, die with one's boots on; hold on the even tenor of one's way, pursue the even tenor of one's way.

Conversation

Verb: talk together, converse, confabulate; hold on a conversation, carry on a conversation, join in a conversation, engage in a conversation; put in a word; shine in conversation; bandy words; parley; palaver; chat, gossip, tattle; prate; (loquacity); powwow.

Permanence

Verb: let alone, let be, let it be; persist, remain, stay, tarry, rest; stet; hold, hold on; last, endure, bide, abide, aby, dwell, maintain, keep; stand, stand still, stand fast; subsist, live, outlive, survive; hold one's ground, keep one's ground, hold one's footing, keep one's footing; hold good.

Perseverance

Verb: persevere, persist; hold on, hold out; die in the last ditch, be in at the death; stick to, cling to, adhere to; stick to one's text, keep on; keep to one's course, keep to one's ground, maintain one's course, maintain one's ground; go all lengths, go through fire and water; bear up, keep up, hold up; plod; stick to work; (work); continue; follow up; die in harness, die at one's post.

Sequence

Verb: advance; proceed, progress; get on, get along, get over the ground; gain ground; forge ahead; jog on, rub on, wag on; go with the stream; keep one;s course, hold on one's course; go on, move on, come one, get on, pass on, push on, press on, go forward, move forward, come forward, get forward, pass forward, push forward, press forward, go forwards, move forwards, come forwards, get forwards, pass forwards, push forwards, press forwards, go ahead, move ahead, come ahead, get ahead, pass ahead, push ahead, press ahead; make one's way, work one's way, carve one's way, push one's way, force one's way, edge one's way, elbow one's way; make progress, make head, make way, make headway, make advances, make strides, make rapid strides; (velocity); go ahead, shoot ahead; distance; make up leeway.

Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus.

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Crosswords: Hold On

English words defined with "hold on": clasp, clench, cling, clutch, clutches, consolidategrasp, griphang, Hent, holdpork-barrelingreserve, retainsecure, SheephookTo seize onunnerved. (references)
Specialty definitions using "hold on": DrivingRoofSun, Swamp. (references)

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Modern Usage: Hold On

DomainUsage

Screenplays

Well hold on now, let me talk to you. (Nutty Professor II: The Klumps; writing credit: Jerry Lewis; Steve Oedekerk)

Hold on to your butts. (Jurassic Park; writing credit: Michael Crichton)

Yeah hold on just a minute. (Caroline in the City; writing credit: Angela Carneiro)

Hold on, I'll check. (The Simpsons; writing credit: Artur Brauner; Paul Hengge)

I ain't dead yet you bushwacker, hold on. (True Grit; writing credit: Charles Portis; Marguerite Roberts)

Lyrics

You gotta hold on (Hold On; performing artist: En Vogue)

Just hold on to that feeling (Hold On My Heart; performing artist: Genesis)

Everything'll be alright if ya hold on (Dear Mama; performing artist: 2Pac)

So I said hold on, I ain't the one (Uh Huh; performing artist: B2K)

But hold on 'till that old second wind comes along (You're Only Human (Second Wind); performing artist: Billy Joel)

Movie/TV Titles

Hold On! (1966)

Song Titles

Hold On My Heart (performing artist: Genesis)

Hold On (performing artist: Ian Gomm)

Hold On (performing artist: Jamie Walters)

Trying to Hold On to My Woman (performing artist: Lamon Dozier)

Hold On To The Night (performing artist: Richard Marx)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Commercial Usage: Hold On

DomainTitle

Books

  • The Sierra Jensen Series: Books 9-12/Now Picture This, Hold on Tight, Closer Than Ever, Take My Hand (Sierra Jensen Series) (reference)

  • Hold on to the Cro (reference)

  • The Money and the Power: The Making of Las Vegas and Its Hold on America (reference)

  • Hold On, Honey, I'll Take You to the Hospital at Halftime: Confessions of a TV Sports Junkie (reference)

  • God Knows Parenting Is a Wild Ride: 9 Things to Hold on to (God Knows) (reference)

    (more book examples)

  

Theater & Movies

  

Music

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Image Slideshow: Hold On

Computer Images:
Hold On

More pictures...

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Photo Album: Hold On

ThumbnailDescription & CreditThumbnailDescription & Credit

A large tree has a tenacious, if tenuous, hold on an eroding bank along Solo Creek, Wye Island. Credit: America's Coastlines.

Vegetation catching hold on bare lava rock. Credit: Small World.

Stranger things have happened. Hold on, and you may walk over the sluggish animal up there yet / Th. Nast. Credit: Library of Congress.

Hold on to Uncle Sam's insurance, the strongest, safest and cheapest insurance in the world - Keep it up after you are back in civil life / James Montgomery Flagg ; Forbes Boston. Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

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Familiar Quotations: Hold On

AuthorQuotation

Georges-Louis Leclerc Buffon

Never think that God's delays are God's denials. Hold on; Hold fast; Hold out. Patience is genius.

Plato

Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind.
Bodily exercise, when compulsory, does no harm to the body; but knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Use in Literature: Hold On

TitleAuthorQuote

Les Miserables

Hugo, Victor

They take you, they hold on to you, they never let go of you.

King Richard III

Shakespeare, William

O God, I fear thy justice will take hold On me, and you, and mine, and yours, for this!

Walden

Thoreau, Henry David

I like sometimes to take rank hold on life and spend my day more as the animals do.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Non-Fiction Usage: Hold On

SubjectTopicQuote

Health

Hold on to grab bars for support when getting in and out of the bathtub or shower. (references)

On the scalp behind the ears and near the neckline at the back of the neck. Head lice hold on to hair with hook-like claws found at the end of each of their six legs. Head lice are rarely found on the body, eyelashes, or eyebrows. (references)

Business

France Telecom has also retained a hold on fixed-line clients, by its ownership of the last local loop, and leasing it to other providers that offer the service at a discount. (references)

This company targets the medium and medium-high niche markets with its products, especially since low-quality products, which are mainly marketed via direct marketing, are slowly starting to lose their hold on the market. (references)

Civil Liberties

Iran

However, basic legal safeguards for freedom of expression are lacking, and the independent press has been subjected to arbitrary enforcement measures by elements of the Government, notably the judiciary, which see in such debates a threat to their own hold on power. (references)

Economic History

Taiwan

After 1986, the KMT's hold on power was challenged by the emergence of competing political parties. (references)

France

Currently France Telecom retains a hold on fixed-line clients through its ownership of the last local-loop. (references)

Political Economy

Burma

Since it seized power in 1988, the junta has shown no inclination to cede its hold on power. (references)

Pakistan

Bhutto's hold on power received a further boost in November 1993, when Farooq Leghari, a PPP stalwart, was elected President. (references)

Mexico

In July 2000, voters elected President Vicente Fox Quesada of the Alliance for Change Coalition in historic elections that observers judged to be generally free and fair, and that ended the Institutional Revolutionary Party's (PRI) 71-year hold on the presidency. (references)

Political Rights

Egypt

Two seats remained vacant throughout the year due to a court-imposed hold on elections on the basis of procedural irregularities. (references)

Mexico

Observers, both international and domestic, judged the elections, which ended the PRI's 71-year hold on the presidency, to be generally free and fair. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

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Expressions: Hold On

Expressions using "hold on": have a hold on smth. hold on a moment! hold on centers hold on like grim death hold on the even tenor of one's way hold on to hold on to a hope hold on turn into ridicule To hold on To lay hold on. Additional references.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Frequency of Internet Keywords: Hold On

The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com.
 
ExpressionFrequency
per Day

if we hold on together

49

baby hold on

12

richard marx hold on to the night

4

wilson phillips hold on

4
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Modern Translation: Hold On

Language Translations for "hold on"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.

Albanian

  

vazhdoj (carry on, carry over, continue, extend, go ahead, go on, hold over, keep, keep on, maintain, pick up, press on, proceed, prosecute, pursue, push on, run, spread), shtrëngoj fort (tie tightly), prit, nuk lëshoj, mbahem (carry, comport, hold, hold one's own, keep, remit), kapem (cling, fasten, hitch, hold on to, tussle). (various references)

   

Arabic 

  

‏قف, ‏واصل (carry on, continue, follow in his footsteps, gear, go on, keep, persist, press, proceed, pursue, push, push along, push on, roll on, stay, stick to smth., sustain), ‏إستمر (continue, drive up, endure, get back, get going, get on, go ahead, go in, go on, hold, keep, keep going, keep on, last, persist, run on smth., sew on, subsist, take, wear out). (various references)

   

Bulgarian 

  

чакам на телефона, крепя (hold, poise, prop up, retain, steady, uphold), не затварям телефона, издържам (endure, fend for, hold, hold out, keep, last, maintain, pass, receive, stand, subsist, support, sustain, take, wear out, withstand), държа се (acquit oneself, act, bear, bear up, comport, comport oneself, conduct oneself, demean, deport oneself, hold, hold one's own, quit, stand out, stick, walk). (various references)

   

Chinese 

  

' (climb, cling to, crawl, dig up, hold on to, pull, push aside, rake, snatch, to strip). (various references)

   

Czech

  

vytrvat (hang on, hold out, persevere, persist, press on, soldier on), vydržet (bear, endure, hold out, last, spin out, stand, stay, stick it out, stomach, sustain, take, tolerate, undergo, withstand), poèkat (hang on, wait). (various references)

   

Danish

  

opspænding mellem pinoler (clamp between centres, hold between centres, hold on centers, mount between centres, support between centres, support on centers). (various references)

   

Dutch

  

tussen de centers draaien (clamp between centres, hold between centres, hold on centers, mount between centres, support between centres, support on centers). (various references)

   

Finnish

  

älä sulje puhelinta (hold the line). (various references)

   

French

  

se retenir de, continuer (hold). (various references)

   

German

  

heben (boost, bring out, bring up, dig up, elevate, enhance, heave, heaved, heighten, hold, hove, improve, increase, lever, lift, lift up, lifting, pick up, put up, raise, raise up, rise, to hoist, to lift), warten (abide, attend, await, camp-on, expect, hang about, hold off, look after, lookouts, maintain, nurse, service, tend, tend to, to service, wait, wait about, wait around, wait for, waiting), sich halten (abide by, bear, bear up, carry oneself, control oneself, hang on, hold, hold oneself, hold out, keep, last, linger, obey, save, stay, stick), sich festhalten (hang on, latch on), festhalten (adherence, capture, cling, conventionalism, detain, emphasize, held, hold, hold down, hold on to, holding, intern, keep hold of, record, retain, to hold down, to hold tight, to retain), durchhalten (hold out, keep up, last out, persevere, sit trough, stay, stick it out, survive, to keep up, withstand), aushalten (abide, bear, born, borne, carry out, endure, hold out, perseverance, persevere, persist, put up with, sit trough, stand, suffer, survive, sustain, take, to endure, to hold out, to sustain, withstand). (various references)

   

Greek 

  

κάνω υπομονή, περιμένω (abide, await, bide, contemplate, expect, wait, wait on). (various references)

   

Hebrew 

  

ל"מתין (await, wait), ל"אחז (grasp, grip, keep). (various references)

   

Hungarian

  

megkapaszkodik (to cling to sg), kitart (insist, keep on, last out, persevere, to carry on, to hang in there, to hold on, to hold out, to hold to, to last, to last out, to maintain one's point, to persist in, to stick by), folytatja az útját. (various references)

   

Indonesian

  

memegangi (hold on to, take hold of), gamblok (be attached to, hold on to), berpegangan (hold on to each other, hold on to something), berpegang (hold on to). (various references)

   

Italian

  

reggere (be ruled, bear, govern, hold, hold out, last, manage, rule, run, stand, sway, take, wield). (various references)

   

Japanese Kanji 

  

張って (Go for it, Keep at it). (various references)

   

Japanese Katakana 

  

が"ばって (Go for it, Keep at it). (various references)

   

Manx

  

cummal rish (endure, last, standby), cummal er. (various references)

   

Pig Latin

  

oldhay onay

   

Portuguese

  

persistir (abide, abide by, insist, live up to, persevere, persist), manter-se firme (adhere, hold one's ground, hold out, persevere, persist), continuar (abide, carry on, continue, endure, go ahead, go along, go on, keep, keep on, last, lengthen, maintain, proceed, proceed with, progress, prolong, prosecute, run, stay). (various references)

   

Romanian

  

stai (avast, hollo), o clipã (half a mo, half a moment, just a moment), nu da drumul, aşteaptã. (various references)

   

Russian 

  

крепить (constipate, shore, stregthen), вцепиться, держаться (cling, keep, keep in the background, stand, stay in the background). (various references)

   

Serbo-Croatian

  

pridržati, pričekati (hold for a while, wait). (various references)

   

Spanish

  

seguir esperando, resistir (bear, bear up, bear up against, discourage, endure, fight, hang on, hang out, hold, hold out, last, last out, oppose, react, resist, stay, stick, withstand), esperar (abide, anticipate, await, bargain for, bide, due, expect, foresee, hang about, hang around, hang on, hold off, hope, look, look for, look out for, stand about, stand around, stay, stay for, Tarry, think, trust, wait, wait about, wait around, wait for, watch), defenderse (acquit, defend oneself, fence, fend, fight, hit back, stand up for, stick up for), aguantar (abide, acquiesce, bear, Brook, endure, hang out, hold out, keep, last out, persevere, put up, put up with, ride out, sit down under, stand, stick out, stomach, suffer, take, tolerate, wear, weather), agarrarse bien, ánimo (animus, come on, courage, encouragement, fight, go it, mettle, mind, never say die, soul, zest). (various references)

   

Swedish

  

hålla fast (cling, hold firm), stopp ett tag. (various references)

   

Thai

  

ยึ"ไว้ (keep a firm hold on), ควบคุมต่อ (keep a tight hold on). (various references)

   

Turkish

  

tutmak (abide by, add up to, affect, Bate, be, bespeak, bind, book, catch, charter, check, choke, choke back, choke down, choke off, claw hold of, clench, clutch, cog, cohere, come to, confine, constrain, contain, cost, cramp, engage, Favor, favour, figure out at, fish, gather, get hold of, grapple, grasp, grip, guard, hang onto, hire, hire on, hold, hold back, hold in, hold on to, hold up, inhibit, intercept, keep, keep back, keep down, keep in, keep to, occupy, play, play on, play upon, possess, redeem, remand, reserve, restrain, retain, save, seize, seize on, stanchion, stick, stick to, stifle, strangle, support, take, take up, tot up, total, uphold, withhold, work out at), sarılmak (arm, be wrapped, canoodle, clasp, clasp smb. in one's arms, cling, clip, coil, coil up, cuddle, give a hug, give smb. a hug, hug, snuggle, twine, wind), durmak (be, cease, come to a halt, come to a stop, discontinue, draw rein, draw up, endure, halt, harp, hold, intermit, keep, let up, linger, pack up, pull in, pull up, remain, rest, run down, stall, stand, stay, stop), dur (halt, hist, hold, hold it, nix, stop, whoa), dayanmak (abut, be based on, be predicated on, bear up, bear up against, bear with, Brook, consist, endure, found, go on, ground, hang, hang on, hinge on, hold, hold one's own, hold out, hold up, last, lean, lean upon, offer resistance, osculate, put up with, rely on, rely upon, repose, repose on, resist, rest, rest against, root in, stand, stand on, stand the racket, stand up, stand upon, stay, stick, stick it, stick out, survive, sweat out, take, take it, thole, tolerate, trace, wear, withstand), beklemek (abide, anticipate, await, bargain for, bide, expect, hang about, hang around, hang on, have smth. in prospect, hope, look for, look forward to, mark time, stand by, stay, Tarry, wait, wait for, watch), bekle (hang on), bağlanmak (adhere, attach, be attached to, be committed, be stuck on, be tied, be wedded to, cling, conjoin, connect, engage, fasten, hang, have down on smb., hitch, lace, Wed, yoke, yoke together). (various references)

   

Ukrainian

  

стій (halt, nix, off), тирматися, вчепитися, прикріплювати (tack, tack on), почекай. (various references)

   

Welsh

  

gafael am (grab hold of, grasp, hold on to). (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

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Bible Trace: Hold On

LanguageDateSourceProverbs Chapter 5, Verse 5
Greek (transliterated)250 BCSeptuagintThV gar afrosunhV oi podeV katagousin touV crwmenouV auth meta qanatou eiV ton adhn ta de icnh authV ouk ereidetai
Latin405VulgatePedes eius descendunt in mortem et ad inferos gressus illius penetrant
Middle English1395WyclifThe feet of hir gon doun in to deth; and to helle the goingis of hir persen.
Jacobean English1611King JamesHer feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.
Victorian English1833WebsterHer feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.
Basic English1964OgdenHer feet go down to death, and her steps to the underworld;

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Matched Bible Translations: Hold On

LanguageProverbs Chapter 5, Verse 5
CebuanoAng iyang mga tiil nagakanaug ngadto sa kamatayon; Ang iyang mga lakang gitunob ibabaw sa Sheol;
CroatianNjene noge silaze k smrti, a koraci vode u Podzemlje.
Danishhendes Fødder styrer nedad mod Døden, til Dødsriget stunder hendes Fjed;
DutchHaar voeten dalen naar den dood, haar treden houden de hel vast.
FinnishHänen jalkansa kulkevat alas kuolemaan, tuonelaan vetävät hänen askeleensa.
FrenchSes pieds descendent vers la mort, Ses pas atteignent le séjour des morts.
GermanIhre Füße laufen zum Tod hinunter; ihre Gänge führen ins Grab.
HungarianAz õ lábai a halálra mennek, az õ léptei a sírba törekszenek.
Indonesian-Bahasa Sehari-hariEngkau diseretnya turun ke dunia orang mati; jalan yang ditempuhnya menuju kepada maut.
Indonesian-Terjemahan Lamabahwa kakinya menuju maut dan tapak kakinyapun berpaut akan neraka adanya.
ItalianI suoi piedi scendono verso la morte, i suoi passi conducono agli inferi.
Korean그 발 은 사 지 로 내 가 며 그 걸 음 은 음 부 로 나 아 가 나 니
MaoriKo ona waewae e heke ana ki te mate, mau pu te reinga i ona takahanga;
NorwegianHennes føtter går nedover til døden; hennes skritt fører like til dødsriket.
PortugueseOs seus pés descem morte; os seus passos seguem no caminho do Seol.   
RumanianPicioarele ei pogoarq la moarte, pawii ei dau kn locuinya moryilor.
RussianОПЗЙ ЕЕ ОЙУИП"СФ Л УНЕТФЙ, УФП Щ ЕЕ "ПУФЙЗБАФ ТЕЙУ П"ОЕК.
SpanishSus pies descienden a la muerte; sus pasos se precipitan al Seol.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Anagrams: Hold On

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

Words within the letters "d-h-l-n-o-o"

-2 letters: hold, hood, loon, nolo.

-3 letters: dol, don, hod, hon, loo, nod, noh, noo, oho, old, ooh.

-4 letters: do, ho, lo, no, od, oh, on.

 Words containing the letters "d-h-l-n-o-o"
 

+2 letters: handloom.

 

+3 letters: handlooms, wolfhound.

 

+4 letters: bloodhound, bondholder, clothbound, conchoidal, holystoned, indophenol, polyhedron, stronghold, unschooled, wolfhounds.

 

+5 letters: bloodhounds, bondholders, buttonholed, clodhopping, indophenols, moonlighted, notochordal, overholding, pigeonholed, podophyllin, polyhedrons, roadholding, strongholds.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.

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INDEX

1. Definition
2. Synonyms
3. Crosswords
4. Usage: Modern
5. Usage: Commercial
6. Images: Slideshow
7. Images: Photo Album
8. Quotations: Familiar
9. Quotations: Fiction
10. Quotations: Non-fiction
11. Expressions
12. Expressions: Internet
13. Translations: Modern
14. Bible Trace
15. Anagrams
16. Bibliography


  

Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.