Meaning

3 senses
  1. (idiomatic, intransitive)To act with reserve; to contain one's full measure or power.

    Don't hold back. Hit it as hard as you can.

    sich zügeln, sich zurückhalten, sich bremsen

    сде́рживатьsdérživatʹ, сде́рживатьсяsdérživatʹsja, приде́рживать

    стри́муватисяstrýmuvatysja, стри́матисяstrýmatysja

  2. (idiomatic, transitive)To contain; stop.

    The dam can't hold back that much water.

    I was swallowing hard to hold back the tears.

    zurückhalten, aufhalten, bremsen

    уде́рживатьudérživatʹ, держа́тьderžátʹ

  3. (idiomatic, transitive)To delay the progress of, especially in school.

    He's a year older than his classmates, because he was held back in second grade.

    hemmen, bremsen, einengen

    приде́рживать / замедля́ть разви́тиеpridérživatʹ / zamedljátʹ razvítije, оставля́ть на второ́й годostavljátʹ na vtorój god

More definitions
  • hold back; keep from being perceived by others
  • refrain from doing
  • wait before acting
  • prevent the action or expression of

Examples

189 sentences
  1. He tried to hold back his anger.

    Він намагався стримати свій гнів. — deniko

    ruОн пытался сдержать свой гнев. — odexed

  2. I think he is holding something back from us.

    Я думаю він щось приховує від нас. — iceman

    ruЯ думаю, он что-то скрывает от нас. — Airy

  3. He sings so well that it's impossible to hold back tears.

    Він так гарно співає, що неможливо стримати сльози. — aandrusiak

    ruОн так хорошо поёт, что невозможно сдержать слёзы. — marafon

    CC BY 2.0 FR · Tatoeba · aandrusiak · A2Open on TatoebaReport a problem
  4. The police held the crowd back.

    ruПолиция сдерживала толпу. — sharptoothed

  5. The police held back the crowd.

Translations

6 languages
Українська
By meaning 1
act with reserve:
Русский
By meaning 3
act with reserve:
to contain; to stop:
delay the progress of:
Deutsch
By meaning 3
act with reserve:
to contain; to stop:
delay the progress of:

Forms

holds back, holding back, held back, held back
Base formhold back · to hold back
3rd person singularholds back
Present participleholding back
Past simpleheld back
Past participleheld back

irregular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theyhold back
he, she, itholds back

Past simpleLesson

all personsheld back

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave held back
he, she, ithas held back

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill hold back

Phrasal verbs

12 phrasal verbs

Synonyms

16 synonyms
Close in meaning

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
hold back — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto