Meaning

1 senses

  1. (idiomatic)To withstand scrutiny or criticism; to be valid.

    выде́рживать критикуvydérživatʹ kritiku

    resist or withstand wear, criticism, etc.

Examples

15 sentences

  1. Does this hold water?

    CM · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · A1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  2. Their theory doesn't hold water.

    Їхня теорія не витримує критики. — deniko

    deDeren Theorie ist nicht wasserfest. — Pfirsichbaeumchen

    sundown · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  3. I think your theory does not hold water.

    ruЯ думаю, твоя теория несостоятельна. — sharptoothed

    deIch glaube, deine Theorie ist nicht wasserdicht. — driini

    Zifre · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  4. At the meeting he said a lot, but his argument did not hold water.

    deEr sagte viel bei der Sitzung, aber sein Argument war nicht stichhaltig. — Tamy

    Tatoeba contributors · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · A2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  5. Does this story hold water?

    OsoHombre · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · A1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

Translations

4 languages
Русский
By meaning 1
withstand scrutiny:

Origin

Possibly from Jeremiah 2:13.

Possibly from Jeremiah 2:13.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

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

irregular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

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

Past simpleLesson

all personsheld water

Present perfectLesson

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

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill hold water

Synonyms

2 synonyms
Close in meaning

Word family

2 related words
Relatedhold upwatertight

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
hoistC2holdA2holderB2holdingholeA1
hold water — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto