Compound Forms:
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| hold [sth] over [sb]'s head v expr | figurative (use [sth] to manipulate [sb]) | usar algo en contra de alguien vtr + loc prep |
| hold [sb] prisoner vtr + n | often passive (detain, keep captive) | tener prisionero a loc verb |
| hold [sb] responsible v expr | (consider accountable) | hacer responsable a loc verb |
| | If this goes wrong, I'm holding you responsible! |
| | ¡Si esto sale mal te hago responsable a tí! |
| hold [sb] responsible for [sth] v expr | (consider accountable) | considerar a alguien responsable por loc verb |
| | The project leader said he held the software engineer responsible for the missed deadline. |
| hold [sb] responsible v expr | (consider legally accountable) | responsabilizar a alguien por loc verb |
| | The jury held the foreman responsible for the death of his worker. |
| | El jurado responsabilizó al capataz por la muerte de su empleado. |
| hold [sb] responsible for [sth] v expr | (consider legally accountable) | considerar a alguien responsable por loc verb |
| | The law holds a driver responsible for ensuring that any children in their car are wearing seat belts. |
| hold [sb]'s interest v expr | (stay interesting) | mantener el interés de loc verb |
| | | mantener interesado a loc verb |
| | Speakers need to select stimulating topics to hold the listeners' interest. |
| | Los oradores deben elegir temas estimulantes para mantener el interés del público. |
| hold short v expr | (aircraft: stop landing short of runway intersection) (avión) | mantenerse fuera de pista o intersección loc verb |
| hold steady vi + adj | figurative (person: remain firm) | mantenerse en sus trece loc verb |
| | After holding steady for years, she finally gave up and sold the failing business. |
| | Se mantuvo en sus trece durante años pero al final vendió el negocio. |
| | | persistir⇒ vi |
| | Persistió durante años pero al final vendió el negocio. |
| hold [sth] steady vtr + adj | (thing: secure) | mantener firme vtr |
| | This chain will hold the post steady against the wind. |
| | Esta cadena mantendrá firme el poste a pesar del viento. |
| hold [sth] against [sb] v expr | (hold a grudge) | reprochar algo a alguien loc verb |
| | I won't hold it against you if you don't want to join me. |
| | Si prefieres quedarte, no hay problema, no te lo voy a reprochar. |
| hold sway vtr + n | (have influence) | dominar⇒ vtr |
| | The political advisor holds sway over the mind of the President. |
| | El consultor político domina la mente del presidente. |
| hold the attention v expr | (be interesting) | capturar la atención loc verb |
| | The movie had an entertaining beginning, but it failed to hold the attention of the audience for the entire ninety minutes. |
| | | retener la atención loc verb |
| | | mantener el interés loc verb |
be left holding the bag,
end up holding the bag (US),
be left holding the baby (UK) v expr | figurative, informal (bear the blame) (coloquial) | cargar con el muerto loc verb |
| | | llevarse la culpa loc verb |
hold the fort,
also US: hold down the fort v expr | figurative (be in charge temporarily) | ocuparse⇒ v prnl |
| | | hacerse cargo loc verb |
| | (figurado, coloquial) | quedarse al mando del fuerte, quedarse al mando del barco expr |
| | | cuidar el puesto loc verb |
| | I'll hold the fort while you go on your coffee break. |
| | Yo me ocupo mientras te tomas tu recreo. |
| | Yo me hago cargo mientras te tomas tu recreo. |
| | Yo me quedo al mando del fuerte mientras te tomas tu recreo. |
| | Yo te cuido el puesto mientras te tomas tu recreo. |
| hold the line v expr | (on phone: wait) | esperar⇒, aguardar⇒ vi |
| | | no colgar loc verb |
| | Please hold the line while we try to connect you. |
| | Por favor espere mientras tratamos de conectarlo. |
| hold the line v expr | figurative (keep things as they are) | mantener las cosas como están loc verb |
| hold the phone v expr | (not hang up) | no colgar loc verb |
| | (formal) | mantenerse en la línea v prnl + loc adv |
| | The receptionist asked me to hold the phone while she spoke to Dr Simpson. |
| | La recepcionista me pidió que no colgara mientras ella hablaba con el Dr. Simpson. |
| hold the purse strings v expr | figurative (control how money is spent) | administrar el dinero loc verb |
| | (AmL) | administrar la plata loc verb |
| hold [sth] tight vtr + adv | (grasp firmly) | agarrar firmemente, agarrar bien vtr + adv |
| | | sujetar firmemente, sujetar bien vtr + adv |
| | The woman held her bag tight as she hurried along the dark street. |
| | La mujer agarró firmemente su bolso mientras caminaba apurada por la calle oscura. |
| hold [sb] tight vtr + adv | (hug) | abrazar fuerte vtr + adv |
| | | abrazar fuertemente vtr + adv |
| | | abrazar con fuerza vtr + loc adv |
| | Tim held his girlfriend tight, before saying goodbye. |
| | Tim abrazó fuerte a su novia antes de decirle adiós. |
| hold tight vi + adv | figurative (persist, wait) | aguantar⇒ vi |
| | (AR, coloquial) | bancar⇒ vi |
| | | resistir⇒ vi |
| | I'll be back in one moment - hold tight. |
| | Hold tight, I will be there soon. |
| | Regreso en un momento, aguanta. // Aguanta, llegaré pronto. |
| hold tight vi + adv | (brace yourself) (informal) | agarrarse duro v prnl + adv |
| | (informal) | tenerse duro v prnl + adv |
| | | aferrarse⇒ v prnl |
| | "Hold tight," shouted the ride operator as the rollercoaster began to move. |
| | El operador gritó «¡agárrense duro!» mientras la montaña rusa empezaba a moverse. |
| hold tight vi + adv | figurative (prepare yourself) | prepararse⇒ v prnl |
| | Hold tight, the next few months could prove to be a bumpy ride! |
| | Prepárate: los próximos meses podrían ser agitados. |
| hold [sb] to ransom v expr | (blackmail, force to pay) | chantajear a vtr + prep |
| | | hacer chantaje a, tener chantajeado a loc verb |
| hold [sb] to ransom v expr | figurative (force into doing [sth]) | chantajear a vtr + prep |
| | | hacer chantaje a, tener chantajeado a loc verb |
| hold [sth] together vtr + adv | (stick) | pegar⇒ vtr |
| | | unir⇒ vtr |
| | Car manufacturers are increasingly using glue to hold parts together. |
| | Los fabricantes de autos usan cada vez más pegamento para pegar las partes. |
| hold [sth] together vtr + adv | figurative (maintain unity of) | mantener la unidad de loc verb + prep |
| | | mantener unido vtr + adj |
| | The military sees itself as the sole force capable of holding the country together. |
| | Los militares creen ser la única fuerza capaz de mantener la unidad del país. |
hold true,
also UK: hold good vi + adj | (continue to apply, remain true) | persistir⇒ vi |
| | | aplicarse⇒ v prnl |
| | | ser válido loc verb |
| | The old saying "waste not, want not" still holds true today. |
| | El viejo dicho "sin despilfarro no hay miseria" todavía persiste. |
| hold-ups npl | UK (type of stockings) | portaligas nm inv |
| | Hold-ups keep your legs cooler than tights in the summer. |
| | Los portaligas mantienen tus piernas más frescas que las calzas en verano. |
| hold water vtr + n | (contain water) | contener agua vtr + nf |
| | Any non-porous container will hold water. |
| hold water v expr | figurative (ideas, arguments: make sense, sound) | tener sentido loc verb |
| hold with (doing) [sth] vi + prep | (agree) | estar de acuerdo con loc verb |
| Note: used in negatives and where there is doubt |
| | I'm sorry, but I just don't hold with that attitude. |
| | Lo siento pero no estoy de acuerdo con esa actitud. |
| hold your breath v expr | (purposely stop breathing) | aguantar la respiración loc verb |
| | I can hold my breath underwater for 45 seconds. |
hold your drink,
also US: hold your liquor v expr | (not get drunk easily) (informal) | aguantar la bebida loc verb |
hold your head high,
hold your head up high v expr | figurative (be proud) | mantener la cabeza en alto loc verb |
| | | mantener la frente en alto loc verb |
| | Even though our team lost, they played well, so they can hold their heads up high. |
| hold your horses v expr | figurative, informal (wait, not be hasty) (figurado) | parar el carro expr |
| | | aguantar⇒, esperar⇒ vtr |
| | My co-manager wants to sack Rufus because of the rumours about him, but I suggest we hold our horses until we have evidence that he is guilty. |
| Hold your horses! interj | figurative, informal (Wait!) (coloquial) | para el carro loc interj |
| | (AR, coloquial) | pará la moto loc interj |
| | Hold your horses! Get back inside! We can't leave till I've found my keys. |
| hold your nose v expr | (pinch nostrils to avoid bad smell) | taparse la nariz loc verb |
| hold your nose v expr | figurative (repress feelings of distaste) (figurado) | taparse la nariz loc verb |
| | | aguantarse⇒ v prnl |
| hold your own v expr | informal (be capable, in control) | sostenerse⇒ v prnl |
| | Suzanne may be young, but she can hold her own in debates with more experienced council members. |
hold your peace,
keep your peace v expr | (stay silent) | quedarse callado v prnl + adj |
| | (informal) | mantener la boca cerrada loc verb |
| hold your position v expr | (stay in place) | mantener la posición vtr + nf |
| | Just hold your position till I arrive. |
| | Mantén tu posición hasta que yo llegue. |
hold your tongue,
bite your tongue,
bite your lip v expr | idiom (refrain from expressing yourself) (coloquial) | mantener la boca cerrada loc verb |
| | (coloquial) | morderse la lengua loc verb |
| | (coloquial) | cerrar el pico loc verb |
| | | quedarse callado v prnl + adj |
| | You must hold your tongue and not tell your mother-in-law what you really think of her cooking. |
| | Debes mantener la boca cerrada y no decirle a tu suegra lo que realmente piensas de su comida. |
hold-down,
holddown n | (building: hardware for plywood wall) | sujeción nf |
| | | estructura de anclaje loc nom f |
| hold-out n | US, informal (person: refuses offer) | rechazador, rechazadora nm, nf |
| | The CEO offered him a prestigious job, but he was a hold-out. |
| | El director le ofreció un alto puesto, pero él era un rechazador. |
holdup,
also UK: hold-up n | informal (robbery at gunpoint) | atraco nm |
| | | asalto nm |
| | | robo nm |
| | Apparently, there was a holdup at the bank last week. |
| | Aparentemente hubo un atraco en el banco la semana pasada. |
holdup,
also UK: hold-up n | informal (cause of a delay) | atasco nm |
| | | demora nf |
| | | retención nf |
| | (tránsito) | embotellamiento, atasco nm |
| | You're two hours late, what was the holdup? |
| | Llegaste dos horas tarde. ¿Cuál fue el atasco? |
| keep hold of [sth/sb] v expr | informal (maintain one's grasp on) | sujetar⇒ vtr |
| | | agarrar⇒ vtr |
| | (informal) | tener firme vtr + adv |
| | (formal) | asir⇒ vtr |
| | The child kept hold of his mother's hand as they crossed the road. |
| | El niño sujetaba la mano de su madre mientras cruzaban la calle. |
| | | sostener⇒ vtr |
keep your end up,
hold your end up v expr | figurative, informal (perform your part adequately) | hacer su parte loc verb |
| | | cumplir con su parte loc verb |
| not hold back v expr | informal (express feelings freely) | mostrarse tal cual expr |
| | No se controla en absoluto, se muestra tal cual le apetece. |
| | | no reprimirse adv + v prnl |
| | No reprimas tus sentimientos, si sientes ganas de llorar, hazlo. |
| not hold back v expr | (not restrain oneself) | no contenerse adv + v prnl |
| | In self-defense, one should not hold back. |
| | En la autodefensa uno no debe contenerse. |
| | | no refrenarse adv + v prnl |
| | En la autodefensa uno no debe refrenarse. |
| not hold up v expr | figurative, informal (fail to withstand close examination) | no resistir un examen cuidadoso loc verb |
| | When the experts performed their tests on the crude counterfeit money, it did not hold up. |
| | Cuando los expertos realizaron pruebas en el dinero falso, no resistió un examen cuidadoso. |
| | | no resistir un análisis serio loc verb |
| | Cuando los expertos realizaron pruebas en el dinero falso, no resistió un análisis serio. |
| | (AmL) | no tener asidero loc verb |
| | Cuando los expertos realizaron pruebas, el dinero falso no tuvo asidero. |
| | | no sostenerse loc verb |
| | Cuando los expertos realizaron pruebas, el dinero falso no se sostuvo. |
| not hold up v expr | informal (fail to withstand use) | no resistir loc verb |
| | ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. Esos vasos no resisten nada, se quiebran solos. |
| on hold adv | (suspended) | suspendido participio |
| | Our marriage plans are on hold for the time being. |
| | Los planes de casamiento están suspendidos por el momento. |
| on hold adv | (telephone: kept waiting) | en espera loc adv |
| | I've been on hold for half an hour now! |
| | ¡Estoy en espera hace media hora! |
| on hold adv | (reserved) | guardado adj |
| | | reservado/a adj |
| | Leslie went to the library to collect the book they were keeping on hold for him. |
| | Leslie fue a la biblioteca para recoger el libro que le tenían guardado. |
| put [sth] on hold v expr | (suspend) | poner en suspenso loc verb |
| | | suspender⇒ vtr |
| | | pausar⇒ vtr |
| | Construction of the new shopping center was put on hold during the credit crisis. |
| | La construcción del nuevo centro comercial fue puesta en suspenso durante la crisis de crédito. |
| put [sb] on hold v expr | (phone: keep waiting) | dejar en espera loc verb |
| Note: Ante complemento directo de persona debe usarse la preposición «a». |
| | When the customer service department puts you on hold, they play annoying music. |
| | Cuando el departamento de atención al cliente te deja en espera, ponen música muy irritante. |
| put [sth] on hold v expr | (reserve) | guardar⇒ vtr |
| | | reservar⇒ vtr |
| | I've asked the library to put the book on hold for me. |
| | Le pedí a la biblioteca que me guarde el libro. |
save harmless clause,
hold harmless clause n | (law: indemnity agreement) | cláusula de exención de responsabilidad grupo nom |
| | The contract contained a save harmless clause. |
stand your ground,
hold your ground v expr | figurative (not waver, maintain your stance) | mantenerse firme loc verb |
| | When her boss said no to a pay rise, Ella stood her ground and reminded him that she was doing overtime every day. |
stop the presses (US),
hold the presses (US),
stop press (UK),
hold the press (UK) interj | (introducing breaking news) | paren las rotativas loc interj |
| | Stop the presses: the White House has just issued an update. |
stop the presses (US),
hold the presses (US),
stop press (UK),
hold the press (UK) interj | figurative (making announcement or update) (coloquial) | ¡paren todo! expr |
| | Hold the press! James has just texted to ask me on a date! |
| take hold v expr | (become established) | establecerse⇒ v prnl |
| | | afianzarse⇒ v prnl |
| | (persona, hábito) | arraigarse⇒ v prnl |
| | It took years for the new system to take hold. |
| | El nuevo sistema tardó varios años en establecerse. |
| take hold of [sth/sb] v expr | (grasp, seize [sth]) | asirse de, agarrarse de v prnl + prep |
| | (persona) | agarrar a vtr + prep |
| | | hacerse con v prnl + prep |
| | The horse wouldn't move so I took hold of the reins and pulled. |
| | | asir⇒ vtr |
| | (persona) | asir a vtr + prep |
| | | asirse de, agarrarse de v prnl + prep |
| | | asirse de alguien, agarrarse de alguien loc verb |
| that which you hold dear n | (everything important to you) | todo lo que te importa loc nom m |
| | If you go to jail, you risk losing that which you hold dear - your marriage, your career, and your family. |
| | Si vas a la cárcel arriesgas perder todo lo que te importa. |
| | | lo que te es querido loc nom m |
| | Si vas a la cárcel arriesgas perder lo que te es querido. |
| | | lo que más aprecias loc nom m |
| | Si vas a la cárcel arriesgas perder lo que más aprecias. |
| to have and to hold expr | (phrase in property deeds) | tener y poseer expr |
| to have and to hold expr | (phrase in marriage vows) | amarte y respetarte expr |
| | | amarte y cuidarte expr |
| toe hold n | (place for toe when climbing) | punto de apoyo nm + loc adj |
| | Rock climbers wear very soft shoes so they can feel for toe holds. |
| | Los escaladores usan zapatos muy suaves para sentir el punto de apoyo. |
| toe hold n | figurative (tenuous position) (figurado) | pie nm |
| | My company barely has a toe hold overseas. |
| | Mi empresa apenas tiene un pie en el mercado extranjero. |