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Hold off meaning

Hold off means to wait before you do something or make a decision. It can also mean to not start yet, used for rain or bad weather.

Check yourself: 3 questions

hold off

hold off · held · holding

C2No object+1 more meaning

I’d hold off on buying a phone until the sales.

Hold off meanings and examples

2 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.

  1. 1wait before you do something or make a decision
  2. 2not start yet, used for rain or bad weather
  1. 1

    Wait before you do something or make a decision

    hold off

    C2No object

    • I’d hold off on buying a phone until the sales.
    • They held off telling the kids until it was certain.
    • Can you hold off booking until I check my dates?
  2. 2

    Not start yet, used for rain or bad weather

    hold off

    B2No object

    • Luckily, the rain held off until we got home.
    • Let’s hope the storm holds off for the match.
    • The snow didn’t hold off for long.
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Is hold off separable?

Hold off usually has no object. For an action, use -ing or on: hold off buying, hold off on the decision.

Hold off on is more common in US English; UK English often uses hold off + -ing. In sport, hold someone off means stop them winning: She held off the other runners.

Verb tenses for hold off

PresentI hold off · she holds off
Pastheld off
Present perfecthave held off
-ing formholding off

Common mistakes with hold off

What learners often say, and what to say instead.

  • Wrong: We held off to buy a car.

    Right: We held off buying a car.

    Use -ing after hold off, not to.

  • Wrong: The rain held off us.

    Right: The rain held off.

    For weather, hold off has no object.

  • Wrong: Let’s hold off the meeting until May.

    Right: Let’s put off the meeting until May.

    To move a planned event to a later date, put off is more natural.

Synonyms and opposites of hold off

Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.

Similar

Opposite

Hold off quiz

Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.

  1. 1We had a picnic, and the rain ___ until evening.

  2. 2Choose the right sentence.

  3. 3“Hold off on the paint. We may change the colour.” What should you do?

More phrasal verbs with hold

5 phrasal verbs start with hold. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.

Test yourself on holdTake the full test

Hold off FAQ

Questions people ask about hold off.

What is the difference between hold off and put off?

Hold off means wait before starting something. Put off means move a fixed event to later: put off the wedding.

What does the rain held off mean?

It means the rain did not start, even though people expected it.

Is hold off followed by -ing?

Yes: hold off buying. In US English, hold off on + noun is also common: hold off on the decision.

Use hold off in real conversations

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