Akademik

hold down
verb
1. keep (Freq. 1)
-

She manages to hold down two jobs

• Hypernyms: ↑retain, ↑hold, ↑keep back, ↑hold back
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s something

2. restrain
-

please hold down the noise so that the neighbors can sleep

• Derivationally related forms: ↑hold-down
• Hypernyms: ↑limit, ↑circumscribe, ↑confine
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s something

* * *

hold down [phrasal verb]
1 hold (something) down or hold down (something)
1 a : to stop (something) from being or becoming too high

Could you please hold the noise down? I'm trying to read.

The company is trying to hold down costs/expenses/prices.

1 b : to continue to have (a job)

It's been a struggle for him to hold down [=keep] a job.

2 hold (someone) down or hold down (someone) : to stop (someone) from doing something or advancing to a higher level, position, etc.

We need to free ourselves of the unfair restrictions that are holding us down.

• • •
Main Entry: ↑hold

Useful english dictionary. 2012.