hold\ off

hold\ off
v
1a. To refuse to let (someone) become friendly.

The president's high rank and chilly manner held people off.

Compare: keep at a distance
1b. To be rather shy or unfriendly.

Perkins was a scholarly man who held off from people.

Compare: keep at a distance
2. To keep away by fighting; oppose by force.

The man locked himself in the house and held off the police for an hour.

3. To wait before (doing something); postpone; delay.

Jack held off paying for the television set until the dealer fixed it.

Mr. Smith held off from building while interest rates were high.


Словарь американских идиом. — СПб., Изд-во "Лань". . 1997.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • hold off — hold back / hold off [v] repress bit, bridle, check, control, curb, defer, delay, deny, forbear, hold down, hold in, inhibit, keep, keep back, keep out, postpone, prevent, put off, refrain, refuse, restrain, stop, suppress, withhold; concepts 121 …   New thesaurus

  • hold off — (something) to delay something. They re hoping to hold off surgery until he s stronger. I hope the rain holds off until we get home …   New idioms dictionary

  • hold off — ► hold off 1) resist (an attacker o r challenge). 2) postpone (an action or decision). 3) (of bad weather) fail to occur. Main Entry: ↑hold …   English terms dictionary

  • hold off — index cease, counter, defer (put off), doubt (hesitate), forbear, parry, pause …   Law dictionary

  • hold off — phrasal verb Word forms hold off : present tense I/you/we/they hold off he/she/it holds off present participle holding off past tense held off past participle held off 1) [intransitive] to deliberately delay doing something He may decide to hold… …   English dictionary

  • hold off — UK US hold off Phrasal Verb with hold({{}}/həʊld/ verb (held, held) ► [I or T] to wait for a period of time before doing something: hold off on sth »Holding off on the product release meant missing sales targets for the year. »Let s hold off… …   Financial and business terms

  • hold off — verb 1. resist and fight to a standoff (Freq. 3) Dallas had enough of a lead to hold the Broncos off • Hypernyms: ↑resist, ↑hold out, ↑withstand, ↑stand firm • Verb Frames …   Useful english dictionary

  • hold off — 1) PHRASAL VERB If you hold off doing something, you delay doing it or delay making a decision about it. [V P ing] The hospital staff held off taking Rosenbaum in for an X ray... [V P] They have threatened military action but held off until now.… …   English dictionary

  • hold off — verb a) To delay someone or something temporarily; to keep at bay. Lets try to hold off the lawyers until we are ready for them. b) To delay commencing (an action until some specified time or event has passed). Hold off the decision one more day… …   Wiktionary

  • hold off — 1) delay, not begin The concert will be held off until next week. 2) keep away by force The man was able to hold off the police for several hours before he was arrested …   Idioms and examples

  • ˌhold ˈoff — phrasal verb to delay doing something He may decide to hold off for a few days.[/ex] She held off calling him until the last possible moment.[/ex] …   Dictionary for writing and speaking English

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