Hold past tense: held, held
grasp, contain
Hold is an irregular English verb: the past simple of hold is held and the past participle is held. Learn the three forms together — hold – held – held.
Verb forms
Base form
/həʊld/
Past Simple
/held/
Past Participle
/held/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · hold
Please hold the door for the next person.
Past Simple · held
She held her daughter's hand as they crossed the street.
Past Participle · held
The meeting will be held in the main hall.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I hold he / she / it holds | I held | I have held |
| Present Continuous:I am holding · he / she / it is holding | ||
Common collocations
hold hands
to clasp another person's hand
hold on
to wait
hold a meeting
to organise a meeting
Grammar guide
Hold belongs to the ABB group: the past simple and the past participle are the same (held). This is the largest group of irregular verbs — you only need to learn one past form.
- Past simple – held: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – held: after have, has or had (present perfect, past perfect) and after be in the passive voice.
- Questions and negatives in the past simple use did + the base form: Did you hold…? I didn’t hold.
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about hold
- What is the past simple of hold?
- The past simple of hold is held.
- What is the past participle of hold?
- The past participle of hold is held.
- What are the three forms of hold?
- The three forms are hold – held – held: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is hold a regular or an irregular verb?
- Hold is irregular: its past simple is held, not holded.