hold on

phrasal-verb
UK: /ˌhəʊld ˈɒn/
US: /ˌhoʊld ˈɑːn/

  1. To wait for a short time.

    1. Hold on a second, I'll be right back. [ ] [ ]
    2. Could you hold on while I check something for you quickly? [ ] [ ]

  2. To grip something tightly.

    1. Hold on tight, the ride is starting! [ ] [ ]
    2. She told him to hold on tightly as the car sped around the corner. [ ] [ ]

  3. To continue despite difficulties; persevere.

    1. Hold on, things will get better soon. [ ] [ ]
    2. Even when it got tough, they had to hold on and finish the project. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

cling persevere wait grip persist
hold on noun

  1. A delay.

    1. Just a hold on while I find it. [ ] [ ]
    2. There was a hold on the phone line so I waited patiently. [ ] [ ]
hold on transitive-verb

  1. To keep something.

    1. Hold on to your ticket, you'll need it later. [ ] [ ]
    2. Make sure you hold on to all receipts to claim the expenses later. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "hold on" in English means: To wait for a short time., To grip something tightly., To continue despite difficulties; persevere..

The phonetic transcription of "hold on" is /ˌhəʊld ˈɒn/ in British English and /ˌhoʊld ˈɑːn/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "hold on": cling, persevere, wait, grip, persist.

Example usage of "hold on": "Hold on a second, I'll be right back.". More examples on the page.