1 B1 idiomatic neutral
To suppress or hide an emotion, preventing it from being expressed outwardly.
"She struggled to hold in her laughter during the serious meeting."
separable
hold in
B2 neutral separable transitive
To suppress or contain an emotion, feeling, or bodily reaction rather than letting it out.
In plain English
To stop yourself from showing a feeling or reaction, like laughter or tears.
What does "hold in" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 informal
To suck in or tighten the stomach muscles so the abdomen appears flatter.
"He held his stomach in as she walked past, trying to look slimmer."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To keep something physically inside — transparent for bodily functions; idiomatic for emotions.
Actually means
To stop yourself from showing a feeling or reaction, like laughter or tears.
Usage tip
Common for emotions (laughter, tears, anger) and for physical urges (breath, stomach). Very similar to 'hold back' but implies internal containment rather than external restraint. The reflexive 'hold yourself in' is also used.
Words that pair with "hold in"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
laughter tears breath anger emotion feelings stomach
How to conjugate "hold in"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
hold in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
holds in
he/she/it
Past simple
held in
yesterday
Past participle
held in
have + pp
-ing form
holding in
continuous
Hear "hold in" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "hold in" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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