hold off

delay or wait before doing something

B2

What does "hold off" mean?

To hold off means to deliberately pause or wait before doing something, usually because conditions are not yet right or more information is needed. It suggests a purposeful, temporary delay rather than avoiding something indefinitely. You might hold off on making a decision until you have all the facts, or hold off on launching a product until the timing improves. The key idea is that the delay is active and intentional — you are choosing to wait rather than act immediately. It is a neutral phrase that works equally well in casual conversation, business meetings, and news reporting.

Examples

How to use it

hold off on + gerund

The most common pattern — use 'on' before a gerund to express the specific action being delayed.

The company decided to hold off on releasing the new software until the bugs were fixed.

hold off on + noun

You can also follow 'on' with a noun phrase rather than a gerund when referring to a thing or event being postponed.

The team held off on the announcement until all the details were confirmed.

hold off (intransitive, no complement)

When the context is already clear, you can use 'hold off' alone, often with a time phrase.

We were ready to sign, but we decided to hold off for a few more days.

hold off + until/for + time expression

Temporal phrases like 'until we know more' or 'for now' are very natural with this phrasal verb and reinforce the idea of a temporary pause.

Let's hold off on hiring until we see how the budget looks next quarter.

hold off on + it/that

When referring back to something already mentioned, use 'on it' or 'on that' rather than placing a pronoun directly after 'hold off'.

I was going to book the flights today, but I think I'll hold off on that for now.

Common Collocations

hold off on a decisionhold off on buyinghold off for nowhold off on making a movehold off on announcinghold off until we know more

Common Mistakes

Missing 'on' before a gerund

Learners often drop the preposition 'on' and say 'hold off doing something', but the correct pattern in natural English — especially in American English — is 'hold off on doing something'.

✗ We should hold off making a decision until Friday.
✓ We should hold off on making a decision until Friday.
Confusing 'hold off' with 'put off'

'Put off' often implies procrastination or avoiding something you don't want to do, sometimes indefinitely. 'Hold off' suggests a deliberate, temporary pause while waiting for better conditions or more information — the intention is to act eventually, just not yet.

✗ He kept putting off on signing the contract, waiting for the market to improve.
✓ He held off on signing the contract, waiting for the market to improve.
Using a direct noun object after 'hold off'

In the 'delay/wait' sense, 'hold off' is intransitive — it cannot take a direct noun object. Place 'on' before the noun or gerund. Placing a noun directly after 'hold off' belongs to a completely different meaning of the phrase.

✗ They held off the product launch until spring.
✓ They held off on the product launch until spring.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral in register and works in both spoken and written English, including business and professional contexts. It is slightly more common in American English; British speakers may also use 'wait' or 'hold back' in similar situations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'hold off' always mean to delay something? I've seen it used differently.

No — 'hold off' has more than one meaning. The sense covered here is about deliberately waiting or delaying an action. There is a separate sense meaning to resist or repel someone, as in 'the team held off their rivals in the final minutes.' These two meanings work quite differently grammatically, so context usually makes it clear which one is intended.

Can 'hold off' refer to the weather?

Yes, there is a related natural usage where weather is the subject — for example, 'The rain held off all afternoon,' meaning the rain did not arrive. This is a slightly distinct intransitive use, but it shares the core idea of something not happening yet. It is quite common in everyday speech.

Is 'hold off' more American or British English?

'Hold off' is used in both varieties, but it is slightly more common in American English. British speakers might sometimes prefer 'wait' or 'hold back' in similar situations. The 'hold off on + gerund' pattern in particular is strongly associated with American English.

Can I use 'hold off' in the present perfect continuous — for example, 'we have been holding off'?

This form sounds awkward with 'hold off' and is best avoided. It is more natural to use the present perfect simple ('we have held off') or a modal construction ('we've decided to hold off'). The future continuous form is also best avoided for similar reasons.

What kinds of things can follow 'hold off on'?

You can follow 'hold off on' with a gerund (hold off on signing, hold off on announcing) or a noun phrase (hold off on the decision, hold off on the launch). The subject is usually a person, a team, or an organisation making a conscious choice to wait. Common contexts include business decisions, investments, hiring, and announcements.

Related Phrasal Verbs

put sth off

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