Meanings
present singular third person holds back · participle present holding back · participle past held back · past held back
- idiomaticintransitiveTo act with reserve; to contain one's full measure or power.
Don't hold back. Hit it as hard as you can.
1 more example
The TSSA union, which along with the RMT represents many of the staff affected by the closures, hasn't held back on its criticism.
2023 October 4, Mel Holley, “Network News: Conservative MPs criticise ticket office closure plans”, in RAIL, number 993, page 23Synonyms: pull punches
- idiomatictransitiveTo contain; stop.
The dam can't hold back that much water.
3 more examples
I was swallowing hard to hold back the tears.
His shyness holds him back from making friends.
Fabregas coolly slotted home after Ben Parker held back Theo Walcott and only a super Kasper Schmeichel save stopped Denilson winning it for the Gunners.
2011 January 8, Chris Bevan, “Arsenal 1 - 1 Leeds”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 01 Feb 2011 - idiomatictransitiveTo delay the progress of, especially in school.
He's a year older than his classmates, because he was held back in second grade.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo act with reserve; to contain one's full measure or power.
More synonyms by meaning
verbhold back, as of a danger or an enemy; check the expansion or influence of
verbsecure and keep for possible future use or application
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Ancient Greek κατέχομαι
- κατέχομαι (katékhomai)act with reserve
Esperanto sin ĝeni
- sin ĝeniact with reserve
German sich zügeln, sich zurückhalten
- sich zügelnact with reserve
- sich zurückhaltenact with reserve
- sich bremsenact with reserve
- zurückhaltento contain; to stop
- aufhaltento contain; to stop
- bremsento contain; to stop
- stoppento contain; to stop
- hemmendelay the progress of
- bremsendelay the progress of
- einengendelay the progress of
- aufhaltendelay the progress of
- zurückhaltendelay the progress of
Italian fare complimenti
- fare complimentiact with reserve
Māori whakatōmuri
- whakatōmuridelay the progress of
Polish powstrzymywać się, powstrzymać się
- powstrzymywać sięact with reserve
- powstrzymać sięact with reserve
- wstrzymywać sięact with reserve
- wstrzymać sięact with reserve
- wstrzymywaćto contain; to stop
- wstrzymaćto contain; to stop
- zatrzymywaćto contain; to stop
- zatrzymaćto contain; to stop
- powstrzymywaćdelay the progress of
- powstrzymaćdelay the progress of
- uniemożliwiaćdelay the progress of
- uniemożliwićdelay the progress of
Russian сде́рживать, сде́рживаться
- сде́рживать (sdérživatʹ)act with reserve
- сде́рживаться (sdérživatʹsja)act with reserve
- приде́рживатьact with reserve
- уде́рживать (udérživatʹ)to contain; to stop
- держа́ть (deržátʹ)to contain; to stop
- приде́рживать / замедля́ть разви́тие (pridérživatʹ / zamedljátʹ razvítije)delay the progress of
- оставля́ть на второ́й год (ostavljátʹ na vtorój god)delay the progress of
Spanish frenarse, refrenarse
- frenarseact with reserve
- refrenarseact with reserve
- contenerseact with reserve
- moderarseact with reserve
- reservarseact with reserve
- enfrenarseact with reserve
- reprimirseact with reserve
- retrotraerdelay the progress of
- anquilosardelay the progress of
- impedir el avance dedelay the progress of
- retrasar el progreso dedelay the progress of
Thai ออมมือ, กักเก็บ
- ออมมือact with reserve
- กักเก็บto contain; to stop
- ฉุด (chùt)delay the progress of
- รั้ง (ráng)delay the progress of
Ukrainian стри́муватися, стри́матися
- стри́муватися (strýmuvatysja)act with reserve
- стри́матися (strýmatysja)act with reserve
Cite this entry
hold back. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hold%20back
“hold back.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hold%20back. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hold back,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hold%20back.
Source: hold back on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.