Hold up meaning
Hold up means to make someone or something late. It can also mean to lift something into the air so people can see it.
hold somebody or something up
hold up · held · holding
Sorry I’m late. I was held up at work.
Hold up meanings and examples
4 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Make someone or something late
hold somebody or something up
- Sorry I’m late. I was held up at work.
- An accident is holding up traffic on the bridge.
- I don’t want to hold you up, so I’ll be quick.
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2
Lift something into the air so people can see it
hold something up
- Hold up your hand if you have a question.
- She held up the trophy and the crowd cheered.
- Can you hold the photo up so we can all see?
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3
Steal from a bank or shop using a gun
hold something up
- Two men held up a petrol station last night.
- The bank was held up in broad daylight.
- Two men held the shop up and took the cash.
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4
Stay strong or work well in a difficult situation
hold up
- How are you holding up after the funeral?
- My old tent held up well in the storm.
- Will his story hold up in court?
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use hold up in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is hold up separable?
Hold up is separable: hold up the traffic or hold the traffic up. With a pronoun, it goes in the middle: hold me up. In the delay meaning it is very often passive: I got held up.
The noun hold-up (UK) or holdup (US) means a delay or a robbery: There’s a hold-up on the motorway. Hold up! in US speech also means wait.
Verb tenses for hold up
| Present | I hold up · she holds up |
|---|---|
| Past | held up |
| Present perfect | have held up |
| -ing form | holding up |
Common mistakes with hold up
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: Sorry, the meeting held up me.
Right: Sorry, the meeting held me up.
A pronoun goes between hold and up.
Wrong: I was holding up in traffic for an hour.
Right: I was held up in traffic for an hour.
When something delays you, use the passive: be held up.
Wrong: How are you holding on after the news?
Right: How are you holding up after the news?
To ask if someone is coping, say holding up.
Synonyms and opposites of hold up
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- delaythe neutral word for making something late
- hold backstop someone from moving forward or making progress
- robsteal from a person or place
Opposite
- speed upmake something go faster
- put downlower something you were holding up
Hold up quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1Our flight was ___ by fog for three hours.
Hold up means make late.
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2Choose the right sentence.
The pronoun goes between hold and up.
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3“How are you holding up?” a friend asks after your exam week. What do they want to know?
How are you holding up? asks if someone is OK in a hard time.
More phrasal verbs with hold
5 phrasal verbs start with hold. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Hold up FAQ
Questions people ask about hold up.
What does I got held up mean?
It means something made you late: Sorry, I got held up at the bank.
What is a hold-up?
A hold-up is a delay, like in traffic, or a robbery with a gun. UK English often writes hold-up; US English writes holdup.
What does hold up mean in American slang?
Hold up! is a casual way to say wait: Hold up, I’m coming with you.
Use hold up in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.