If you hold on, or hold onto something, you keep your hand on it or around it, for example to prevent the thing from falling or to support yourself.
His right arm was extended up beside his head, still holding on to a coffee cup. [VERBPARTICLE + to]
He was struggling to hold onto a rock on the face of the cliff. [VERBPARTICLE noun]
Despite her aching shoulders, Nancy held on. [VERBPARTICLE]
2. phrasal verb
If you hold on, you manage to achieve success or avoid failure in spite of great difficulties or opposition.
We didn't play well but we managed to hold on. [VERBPARTICLE]
This Government deserved to lose power a year ago. It held on. [VERBPARTICLE]
You helped me to hold on at times when I didn't think I could even go on trying. [VERBPARTICLE]
3. phrasal verb
If you ask someone to hold on, you are asking them to wait for a short time.
[spoken]
The manager asked him to hold on while he investigated. [VERBPARTICLE]
Hold on a minute. [VERBPARTICLE]
More Synonyms of hold on
See full dictionary entry for hold
hold on in British English
verb(intr, adverb)
1.
to maintain a firm grasp
she held on with all her strength
2.
to continue or persist
3. (foll by to)
to keep or retain
hold on to those stamps as they'll soon be valuable
4.
to keep a telephone line open
exclamation
5. informal
stop! wait!
hold on in American English
1.
to retain one's hold
2.
to continue; persist
3. Informal
stop! wait!
See full dictionary entry for hold
Examples of 'hold on' in a sentence
hold on
You're young, you're strong: you're a fool to let the grog get such a hold on you.
West, Charles STAGE FRIGHT
They rarely touched on the subject of their other lives, placed on hold on the far side of the world.
Mark Mills AMAGANSETT (2004)
Frank got a hold on himself, smiling at how on edge his nerves were.
Carey, M. V. THE TRAIL OF TERROR (THE THREE INVESTIGATORS MYSTERIES NO 39) (1987)
In other languages
hold on
British English: hold on /həʊld ɒn/ VERB
If you hold on or hold onto something, you keep your hand firmly round something.
He held on to a coffee cup.
American English: hold on
Arabic: يَنْتَظِرُ
Brazilian Portuguese: aguentar
Chinese: 抓住
Croatian: držati
Czech: držet se
Danish: holde fast i
Dutch: vasthouden
European Spanish: agarrar
Finnish: pidellä kiinni
French: patienter
German: festhalten
Greek: προσκολλώμαι
Italian: aspettare
Japanese: しっかりつかまる
Korean: 꽉 잡고 있다
Norwegian: holde fast
Polish: trzymać się
European Portuguese: agarrar
Romanian: a se ține
Russian: держать(ся)
Latin American Spanish: agarrarse
Swedish: hålla fast
Thai: ยึดแน่น
Turkish: tutunmak
Ukrainian: тримати(ся)
Vietnamese: nắm chặt
All related terms of 'hold on'
on hold
If you put something on hold , you decide not to do it, deal with it, or change it now , but to leave it until later .
hold on to
If you hold on to something that gives you an advantage , you succeed in keeping it for yourself, and prevent it from being taken away or given to someone else.
hold out on
to delay in or keep from telling (a person) some new or important information
put something on hold
to decide not to do, change, or deal with something now , but to leave it until later
hold on like grim death
to hold very firmly or resolutely
Chinese translation of 'hold on'
hold on
vi
(= 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.)
(inf, = wait) 等一会(會)儿(兒) (děng yīhuìr)
⇒ Hold on a moment, please.请等一会儿。 (Qǐng děng yīhuìr.)
See hold
All related terms of 'hold on'
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.
to put sth on hold
暂(暫)时(時)不做某事 zànshí bù zuò mǒushì
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 out
( hand ) 伸出 shēnchū ⇒ Sam held out his hand for the briefcase. → 山姆伸手拿公文包。 Shānmǔ shēnshǒu ná gōngwénbāo.
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.