hold on — persist despite difficulty
phrasal verbC1IELTS 7+neutraloccasional
to continue trying or not give up, especially when facing challenges or adversity.
Say it like a native
Textbook He resolved to persevere until assistance arrived.
Native He just had to hold on until help came.
'Hold on' naturally means keep going through hardship. 'Persevere until assistance arrived' is formal.
Pattern: hold on (to something/someone)
In use
- Despite the setbacks, she managed to hold on and eventually completed her degree.resilience
- In times of economic uncertainty, it is crucial for small businesses to hold on and adapt to changing circumstances.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Hold on yourself, help is coming.
✓ Hold on, help is coming. / Just hold on.
This sense is intransitive — 'hold on' (= endure), with no reflexive object.
Common collocations
hold on— a bit longer, till morning, somehow, in there
Don't confuse it
This sense is figurative and refers to not giving up, unlike the B1 sense, which simply means to wait briefly. Here, 'hold on' is about enduring or persisting, not pausing.
Related
- hold on (wait briefly) — 'hold on' also has the more basic meaning 'wait briefly'; this is the advanced sense.