hold back — impede progress
to prevent someone or something from making progress, developing, or achieving their full potential, often used in reference to obstacles, limitations, or external factors.
Say it like a native
Textbook His lack of confidence impeded his professional advancement.
Native His confidence was holding him back.
'Hold (someone) back' is the natural way to say what's limiting them. 'Impeded his advancement' is formal.
Pattern: hold back + noun / hold back + from + -ing
In use
- A lack of investment is holding back the country's economic growth.progress
- While many factors contribute to educational inequality, it is often a lack of resources that holds back students from disadvantaged backgrounds.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Don't let fear to hold you back.
✓ Don't let fear hold you back.
After 'let', use the bare verb — 'let fear hold you back', not 'to hold'.
Common collocations
hold + back— hold you back, held the team back, what's holding her back, nothing
Don't confuse it
Unlike the B1 sense ('restrain emotion'), this sense is not about controlling feelings. Unlike the B2 sense ('withhold information'), it does not involve deliberately keeping something secret. Here, 'hold back' refers to something that prevents progress or achievement.
Related
- hold back (restrain emotion) — 'hold back' also has the more basic meaning 'restrain emotion'; this is the advanced sense.