Meaning trap
hold back
restrain emotion
to stop yourself from showing your feelings, especially strong emotions like anger, sadness, or excitement
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
to stop yourself from showing your feelings, especially strong emotions like anger, sadness, or excitement
Another meaning of 'hold back' is 'withhold information'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- She tried to hold back her tears during the sad movie.daily life
- In stressful situations, I sometimes find it hard to hold back my frustration, especially when things don't go as planned.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: hold back (tears/laughter/emotion)
WrongHe held his anger back inside.
RightHe held back his anger.
'Hold back + emotion'. 'Inside' is redundant.
Patternhold back (tears/laughter/emotion)
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Hold back (tears)' is the natural collocation. 'Restrained her tears' is stiff.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
hold back + emotionthe tearsher angera laughhis feelings
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'hold on' (wait) or 'hold up' (delay).
Related
- hold back (withhold information) — Another meaning of 'hold back' is 'withhold information'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.