Meanings
present singular third person holds off · participle present holding off · participle past held off · past held off
- idiomatictransitiveTo delay (someone or something) temporarily; to keep at bay.
Let's try to hold off the lawyers until we are ready for them.
1 more example
The breakthrough came after 63 minutes as United’s unorthodox defence desperately tried to hold off a spell of sustained pressure.
2014 November 2, Daniel Taylor, “Sergio Agüero strike wins derby for Manchester City against 10-man United”, in guardian.co.uk - idiomaticintransitivetransitiveTo delay commencing (an action until some specified time or event has passed).
Hold off (on) baking until I get there.
1 more example
Hold off (on) the decision one more day so I can answer your question.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Dutch tegenhouden
- tegenhoudento delay someone or something
Italian ritardare, posporre
- ritardareto delay someone or something
- posporreto delay commencing
- attendereTo delay commencing an action
Polish odczekiwać, odczekać
- odczekiwaćto delay someone or something
- odczekaćto delay someone or something
- odraczaćto delay someone or something
- odroczyćto delay someone or something
- przekładaćto delay commencing
- przełożyćto delay commencing
- odkładaćto delay commencing
- odłożyćto delay commencing
- odkładaćTo delay commencing an action
- odłożyćTo delay commencing an action
Portuguese deter, reter
- deterto delay someone or something
- reterto delay someone or something
- segurarto delay someone or something
- deterto delay commencing
- segurarto delay commencing
Russian откла́дывать, откла́дывать
- откла́дывать (otkládyvatʹ)to delay someone or something
- откла́дывать (otkládyvatʹ)to delay commencing
- откла́дывать (otkládyvatʹ)To delay commencing an action
Spanish posponer, retrasar
- posponerto delay someone or something
- retrasarto delay someone or something
- posponerto delay commencing
- posponerTo delay commencing an action
Cite this entry
hold off. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hold%20off
“hold off.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hold%20off. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hold off,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hold%20off.
Source: hold off on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.