holdout
/ˈhəʊld.aʊt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhoʊld.aʊt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhōld-ˌau̇t/ (ame, mw)
holdout — noun
- holdoutsingular
- holdoutsplural
1. a person, group, or country that keeps doing or believing something even when ot
a person, group, or country that keeps doing or believing something even when others are pushing hard to make them stop or join in — for example, the last team owner refusing to sign a labour deal, or one nation still rejecting a treaty everyone else has signed.
Brooke was the only holdout when her book club voted for science fiction.
noun + 'the only holdout' pattern for a single dissenter
Six neighbours signed the petition; one holdout refused to add his name.
numeric contrast: the rest agreed, one did not
By Tuesday morning, only three countries remained holdouts on the climate agreement.
Hoa's small bakery is the last holdout against the coffee chains taking over the street.
The union called the two holdouts greedy for blocking the contract everyone else accepted.
文法句型
holdout against [pressure/agreement]
the last holdout
用法筆記
Often appears as 'the last holdout' or 'the only holdout', highlighting one person or group standing apart from a larger consenting majority. Frequently followed by 'against' + the thing being resisted.
常見錯誤
holdout — verb
- holdoutpresent simple I / you / we / they
- holdouts3rd person singular
- holdouting-ing form
- holdoutedpast simple
1. to keep refusing to agree, give up, or accept what is being offered, usually bec
to keep refusing to agree, give up, or accept what is being offered, usually because you want a better deal or because you do not want to join the others.
Andrew held out for a higher salary and finally got the offer he wanted.
'hold out for [a better offer]' — most common pattern
Two jurors held out against the rest, so the trial ended without a verdict.
'hold out against' + a majority pressing for agreement
Élise's grandmother held out for weeks before agreeing to move into the care home.
The small village held out against the developers who wanted to buy their land.
Roya knew the strike would only end when the last workers stopped holding out.
- resist
more general; can be physical or abstract
- stand firm
emphasises moral or principled refusal
- stick it out
informal; stresses endurance more than refusal
文法句型
hold out for [something better]
hold out against [pressure]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (offer/present): this sense is intransitive and means refusing to give in. Subject is typically a person or group under pressure to agree.
常見錯誤
2. to put forward hope, a promise, or a chance of something as something that could
to put forward hope, a promise, or a chance of something as something that could really happen — used especially when describing what an offer or situation makes possible.
The new treatment holds out hope of recovery for patients with this rare disease.
'hold out hope of [something]' — most frequent collocation
The job description held out the promise of foreign travel and a generous bonus.
'hold out the promise of' + an attractive condition
Doctors no longer held out much hope for Jack after the third operation failed.
The peace talks held out a real chance of ending the long conflict.
Christopher's letter held out an invitation to visit his family in Toronto next summer.
文法句型
hold out [hope/promise/possibility] of [something]
hold out [an offer] to [someone]
用法筆記
Typical objects are abstract nouns of possibility: 'hope', 'promise', 'chance', 'invitation', 'prospect'. Avoid using with concrete objects — you don't 'hold out a chair' in this sense.
常見錯誤
3. to describe or present a person or thing publicly as being a particular kind of
to describe or present a person or thing publicly as being a particular kind of person or thing — often used when someone makes a claim about themselves or another that may not be accurate.
Sayaka held herself out as a licensed accountant, though she had never passed the exam.
'hold oneself out as' — common reflexive pattern in legal contexts
The website held the product out as a cure for back pain.
transitive use with a product or service
Ravindra was held out by his colleagues as the most experienced engineer on the team.
The school holds itself out as one of the best in the region.
Officials held the agreement out as a model for future trade deals.
文法句型
hold [someone/something] out as [a particular kind]
用法筆記
Common in legal writing, especially the reflexive 'hold oneself out as', which often implies the description may be misleading or unfounded. Differs from sense 1 (refuse to yield) by being transitive and from sense 2 (offer hope) by describing identity or quality rather than possibility.