hold out

hold out
1) PHRASAL VERB If you hold out your hand or something you have in your hand, you move your hand away from your body, for example to shake hands with someone.

[V P n (not pron)] `I'm Nancy Drew,' she said, holding out her hand...

[V P n (not pron)] Max held out his cup for a refill. [Also V n P]

2) PHRASAL VERB If you hold out for something, you refuse to accept something which you do not think is good enough or large enough, and you continue to demand more.

[V P for n] I should have held out for a better deal...

[V P] He can only hold out a few more weeks.

3) PHRASAL VERB If you say that someone is holding out on you, you think that they are refusing to give you information that you want. [INFORMAL]

[V P on n] He had always believed that kids could sense it when you held out on them. [Also V P]

4) PHRASAL VERB If you hold out, you manage to resist an enemy or opponent in difficult circumstances and refuse to give in.

[V P] The guerrillas were holding out in the Paghman valley...

[V P] One prisoner was still holding out on the roof of the jail.

5) PHRASAL VERB If you hold out hope of something happening, you hope that in the future something will happen as you want it to.

[V P n (not pron)] He still holds out hope that they could be a family again.


English dictionary. 2008.

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  • Hold Out — Album par Jackson Browne Sortie 24 juin 1980 Enregistrement 1979 Durée 37 : 48 Genre Rock Producteur Jac …   Wikipédia en Français

  • hold-out — (n.) one who abstains or refrains when others do not, by 1911, from verbal expression hold out; see HOLD (Cf. hold) (v.) + OUT (Cf. out). Earlier as the name of a card sharper s device (1893) …   Etymology dictionary

  • hold out — (something) to offer the possibility that something will happen. We don t hold out much hope of finding more survivors. Our supervisor held out the possibility that he would return to work next month. Usage notes: often used with not as in the… …   New idioms dictionary

  • hold out — I (deliberate on an offer) verb make overtures, offer, place at ones disposal, present, proffer, promittere, propone, propose, put forward, submit, suggest, urge, volunteer II (resist) verb balk, be unwilling, hold fast, hold one s own, make a… …   Law dictionary

  • hold out — ► hold out 1) resist difficult circumstances. 2) continue to be sufficient. Main Entry: ↑hold …   English terms dictionary

  • hold out on — (someone) to refuse to give help or information to someone. I discovered that she had been holding out on me all these years, not telling me the secret ingredient in her pies …   New idioms dictionary

  • hold|out — «HOHLD OWT», noun. Informal. 1. a person, group, or organization that refuses to accept terms, submit, or comply as with a trend or order: »Despite their reputation as long time holdouts against Government handouts, the nervous beef raisers are… …   Useful english dictionary

  • hold out — v. 1) (B) ( to offer ) they didn t hold out much hope to us 2) (D; intr.) to hold out against ( to resist ) (they held out against the enemy for a month) 3) (D; intr.) to hold out for ( to demand ) (they held out for better terms) 4) (d; intr.)… …   Combinatory dictionary

  • hold out — phrasal verb Word forms hold out : present tense I/you/we/they hold out he/she/it holds out present participle holding out past tense held out past participle held out 1) [transitive] to hold something where someone else can reach it Gail held… …   English dictionary

  • hold out — verb 1. thrust or extend out (Freq. 5) He held out his hand point a finger extend a hand the bee exserted its sting • Syn: ↑exsert, ↑stretch out, ↑put out …   Useful english dictionary

  • Hold Out — Infobox Album | Name = Hold Out Type = Album Artist = Jackson Browne Released = June 24, 1980 Recorded = 1979 Genre = Rock Length = 37:48 Label = Asylum Producer = Jackson Browne, Greg Ladanyi Reviews = * Allmusic Rating|2|5… …   Wikipedia

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