hold up: meaning and explanation
to hold somebody/something up = to delay somebody or something.
It is easy to use this phrasal verb as an alternative to the verb delay. e.g. I don’t want to hold you up = I don’t want to delay you.
We often use the phrasal verb in the passive (to be/get held up) when we want to focus on the person or thing that is delayed. e.g. I got held up at work.
We can also use this phrasal verb as a noun – a hold up, e.g. Sorry for the hold up, your drinks will be ready in the next couple of minutes.
Have a go at this dictation exercise to hear this phrasal verb being used in context – how much can you understand?
Discussion questions
Write your answers to these questions in the comments section, and I’ll get back to you with some feedback:
- Tell me about a time you were late for something important because something delayed you. Use the phrasal verb to hold sb up.
- Are hold ups common in your country? What causes these delays
I justo to be late in almost every meeting,date or even in my job. Because I got he’ll up with the chores or by kids
Well done Eli 🙂
When you say ‘justo’, I think you mean ‘used to’ which we use to talk about past habits or regular actions (e.g. I used to play tennis every week).
Also, be careful with the preposition after the phrasal verb – it will normally be ‘by’ (I got held up by chores/the kids).
Thanks!
It’s really shameful when I’ve been held up in the traffic and someone is waiting for me. I can undertand how feel other person.
Good example Javier. I would say “I can understand how the other person feels“. Also, be careful with ‘shameful’ and ‘ashamed’ – these be false friends, so Spanish speakers need to be careful. In English, ‘shame’ is a strong word for how we feel when we’ve done something bad or morally wrong/socially unacceptable. When you use it in your example, it sounds too dramatic. A better word for your example would be ’embarrassing’. This is more appropriate than shameful because, although it isn’t good to be late, you haven’t done anything morally wrong. Imagine you have a job interview. If… Read more »
I got held up by work and I was late for my friend’s wedding party.
Usually I never late. I consider myself punctual person. But once I was late to the work, because I got held up with havy rain
Good example Irinka. I’m impressed that you’ve only been late to work once! I’ve made a couple of corrections to your example below:
“Usually I’m never late. I consider myself a punctual person. But once I was late to work because I got held up by heavy rain.
Usually I’m held up by a traffic jam
Good example Victoria. A useful expression for you might be “to be/get stuck in traffic”, e.g. “I was late for work because I got stuck in traffic again”.
Well, i work on the other side of my city..it’s really far ..and I hate being late , so I try leaving home early..nevertheless the first day work…I arrived late because I got held by traffic ! It was rush hours traffic and I wqs desesperated.so, i got off the bus and took a taxy.
Great example Miriana – what a nightmare being late on your first day 🙁
A couple of quick corrections:
“I try leaving early” – this should be “I try to leave early”. Do you know why?
Remember to use the whole phrasal verb (it’s easy to forget!): “I got held up by traffic.”
A couple of spelling mistakes – should be ‘desperate’ and ‘taxi’.
Well done 🙂
I don’t like being held up by anything or anyone either, but sometimes it happens. However, I don’t remember when was the last time I was held up.
Excellent use of the phrasal verb 🙂
One small correction near the end relating to word order. It should be: “I don’t remember when the last time I was held up was“. Remember that we only need to use the structure/word order of a question if it is actually a question. Let me know if you’d like another example of this.
I wasn’t on time for a job interview because i got hold up by a traffic jam.
Oh dear – disaster! Did you get the job?
There is one grammatical mistake in the way you used the phrasal verb – can you see it?
I work from home and have free schedule so fortunately I’m never late for it 🙂 Now I almost always come in (on) time and only some unexpacting occasions can hold me up )
Sounds lovely!
I would say you come in on time (you need both prepositions because you are describing coming IN (to work), and doing it ON time.
One other correction – the adjective you need is ‘unexpected’.
Well done!
Once I got held up/I was held up by my alarm that didn’t work. But that was my fault :/ I forgot to turn it on
Haha, I’ve done that too.
You could have used a phrasal verb in your sentence (this one)
I almost everyday sleep until late because the most days I arrive late at night and tired from the dancing training. So when I must to awake early is easy for me to got held up by the warm sheets of my bed if I don’t hear the alarm I put in my phone.
Hi Gustavo! I like your example – I’ve never heard anyone say they got held up by their bed/warm sheets, but I know exactly what you mean 🙂 Here are some sentences with corrections – compare to your original example to see the changes. “Almost everyday I sleep until late because most days I arrive late at night and tired from dancing training”. “So when I must wake up early it is easy for me to get held up…” (after modal verbs like ‘must’, we only ever use the basic form of the verb). We would use the phrase ‘to… Read more »