Captivity, Feelings, & Interactions (Hold): English Vocabulary List

to have a strong feeling of disrespect or disgust toward someone or something

"She holds liars in contempt."

"Many people hold corrupt politicians in contempt because they betray the public's trust for personal gain."

to occupy an official or formal position in a government, organization, or institution, typically for a specific term or period

"The senator held office for twenty years."

"The politician has held office for twelve years and is now running for re election again."

to ensure that an individual takes responsibility for their actions and faces consequences for their behavior or performance

"We must hold politicians accountable."

"The shareholders want to hold the company's CEO accountable for the huge financial losses."

to keep someone in captivity against their will as a result of what they did

"They held him prisoner for days."

"The soldiers held the enemy prisoner until reinforcements arrived to take him to the detention camp."

to keep someone as a captive with the intention of making demands or taking advantage

"The criminals took the clerk hostage."

"The criminals threatened to take the bank customers hostage if the police did not give them a car."

to link hands with someone as an expression of affection, unity, or support

"They are holding hands."

"The old couple still like to hold hands when they go for walks."

to keep someone confined or restrained, limiting their freedom of movement or action

"They held her captive for weeks."

"The rebels took several journalists captive and demanded a large ransom before they would release them."

to maintain someone's focus, interest, or engagement

"The speaker held my attention for an hour."

"The exciting movie managed to hold my attention for the entire two hours without me getting bored."

to have a negative opinion about someone because of their actions in the past

"I won't hold it against you."

"Even though he forgot her birthday last year, she decided not to hold it against him this time."

to have the potential for future success or positive outcomes

"This holds great promise."

"The early results of the clinical trial hold great promise for a new treatment for the disease."

to remain valid or accurate over time or in various situations

"The old saying still holds true today."

"The old saying holds true even today kindness is always appreciated by everyone in the world."

to regard something with great respect, honor, or devotion

"They hold this tradition sacred."

"Many cultures hold their traditions sacred and pass them down from generation to generation with great care."

to have a great amount of respect, admiration, or esteem for someone or something

"We hold them in esteem."

"The entire community holds the dedicated volunteers in high esteem for their tireless efforts to improve local services."