To wait briefly, to grip something firmly, or to persevere through difficulty.
To wait a moment, to keep tight hold of something, or to keep going even when things are hard.
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To wait, especially briefly, often used as a direct instruction.
"Hold on — I need to grab my keys before we leave."
Hold on, I'll be right with you.
— Ubiquitous in everyday speech and television; standard telephone phrase
To grip something firmly with your hand to avoid falling or losing it.
"Hold on tight — the path gets slippery ahead."
To persevere or endure through a difficult situation, often with the hope that things will improve.
"Things are tough right now, but just hold on — it'll get better."
Hold on, pain ends.
— Widely cited motivational saying; slogan and tattoo phrase popularized across social media
To grip something and keep holding it — transparent for the physical sense.
To wait a moment, to keep tight hold of something, or to keep going even when things are hard.
Extremely common in everyday speech. 'Hold on' as an instruction to wait is used constantly in phone calls and conversations. The grip sense is physically transparent. The perseverance sense is common in motivational contexts. Often shortened to just 'hold on a second.'
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Listen to native speakers using "hold on" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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