hold down

keep someone or something in place using force

What does "hold sth/sb down" mean?

To hold someone or something down means to use physical force to keep them in place and prevent them from moving. You push downward or apply pressure so that the person or object stays where it is. It might describe restraining a person who is struggling, pressing something flat against a surface, or using your weight to stop something from being blown away. The force can come from hands, arms, body weight, or even objects placed on top of something. It is a common and natural phrasal verb in storytelling, medical and emergency contexts, and everyday descriptions of physical actions.

Examples

It took three officers to hold the suspect down until backup arrived.
The government has been trying to hold down inflation for the past two years.
She's never been able to hold down a steady job for more than a few months.

How to use it

hold down + noun object

The standard pattern — the noun object follows the particle directly.

Two officers held down the suspect while a third applied the handcuffs.

hold + pronoun + down

When the object is a pronoun, it must go between 'hold' and 'down' — placing it after 'down' is not grammatical.

He was so agitated that it took two paramedics to hold him down.

hold + noun object + down (separated)

Short noun phrases can also be placed between the verb and particle for emphasis or stylistic preference.

She held the papers down with a heavy book so they wouldn't blow away.

be held down (passive)

The passive form is natural and common, especially in narrative and reporting.

The patient was held down gently while the nurse cleaned the wound.

Common Collocations

hold down a jobhold down priceshold down wageshold down costshold someone downhold down a position

Common Mistakes

Pronoun placed after 'down'

When the object is a pronoun like 'him', 'her', 'it', or 'them', it must always go between 'hold' and 'down'. Placing it after 'down' is ungrammatical.

✗ The nurses tried to hold down him while the doctor examined the injury.

✓ The nurses tried to hold him down while the doctor examined the injury.

Confusing 'hold down' with 'pin down'

'Pin down' suggests pressing someone flat against a surface so they can't move at all. 'Hold down' is broader — it means keeping someone or something in place, but not necessarily flat or completely immobilised.

✗ She held down the butterfly against the board. (if you mean pinning it flat)

✓ She pinned down the butterfly against the board. / She held down the lid to stop it popping open.

Using 'hold down' without an object

'Hold down' always needs an object — it cannot be used on its own without saying what is being held down.

✗ He held down while the wind blew.

✓ He held down the tent while the wind blew.

Usage

The 'keep a job' sense is the most conversational and often implies difficulty ('he struggles to hold down a job'). The 'keep at a low level' sense is common in news and economic contexts and sounds natural in formal writing too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'hold down' always involve physical force?

In this sense, yes — the force is always physical. You are pressing, restraining, or applying weight to keep someone or something in place. 'Hold down' has other meanings in different contexts (such as keeping prices low, or keeping a job), but those are separate senses.

Can 'hold down' be used for objects as well as people?

Yes — it works for both. You can hold down a person who is struggling, but you can also hold down papers in the wind, a lid that keeps popping open, or a loose tile. The key idea is always the same: applying force to prevent movement.

Can 'hold down' be used in the passive form?

Yes, the passive works very naturally. 'He was held down by two security guards' is a common construction, especially in news reports and narrative writing where the focus is on the person being restrained rather than who is doing the restraining.

What's the difference between 'hold down' and 'hold back'?

'Hold down' means keeping someone or something in place by pressing downward. 'Hold back' means preventing someone or something from moving forward or advancing. The direction of the force is different — down versus back.

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