Meaning
To delay someone or something; to physically support or prop up; or to rob (especially a bank).
Primary Function
Expressing delay, physical support, or robbery.
Communicative Purpose
To explain lateness, describe supporting an object, or report a robbery.
Pattern
hold up
Core Structure
hold up
Função primária
Expressing delay, physical support, or robbery.
Propósito comunicativo
To explain lateness, describe supporting an object, or report a robbery.
Situações de gatilho
Being delayed by traffic, missing a meeting due to obstruction, seeing someone support a structure, reporting a bank robbery.
Contextos
Everyday conversation, workplace communication, news reports.
Padrão
hold up
Estrutura central
hold up
Slots de substituição
Traffic, meetings, structures, banks, people.
Colocados típicos
- traffic
- meeting
- construction
- bank
- robbery
- delay
- support
- protest
Substituições comuns
- delay (for temporal sense)
- support (for physical sense)
- rob (for robbery sense)
Erros comuns
Incorrectly splitting the phrasal verb as 'hold it up' instead of 'held up'; confusing 'hold up' with 'hang up' or 'hold on'.
Similar / contraste
hold on (wait), hang up (end call), stick up (robbery, informal)
Interferências
Learners may confuse 'hold up' (robbery) with 'hold on' (wait) or misapply 'hold it up' as a correct form.
Família do chunk
- holdup (noun)
Nuance
In polite contexts, 'held up' softens the excuse for lateness; in criminal contexts, it conveys seriousness and danger.
Efeito pragmático
Softens blame for delays; creates dramatic tension when describing robbery.
Dica de memória
Traffic held me up.
Nota
The phrasal verb 'hold up' has multiple meanings and can be used in various contexts, including causing delays, providing support, and referring to robberies. It is important to pay attention to the context in which it is used to understand its specific meaning.
Upgrade path
hold up your end of the bargain
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