Phrasal verb
hold against
Definition
phrasal verb. to let your opinion of someone become worse because of a mistake they made or something they did in the past.
phrasal verb. to allow a past action or circumstance to negatively influence one's current judgment of a person; typically used in the negative to express forgiveness or fairness.
Examples
“I made a mistake, but please don't hold it against me.”
“Even though he was late for the meeting, the boss didn't hold it against him because of the heavy snow.”
“While her previous failure was significant, the committee decided not to hold it against her during the final selection process.”
Examples
simple
“I made a mistake, but please don't hold it against me.”
contextual
“Even though he was late for the meeting, the boss didn't hold it against him because of the heavy snow.”
complex
“While her previous failure was significant, the committee decided not to hold it against her during the final selection process.”
Usage
The thing being blamed (the object) usually goes between 'hold' and 'against'.
Teaching tip
This is almost always used with 'it' or a specific action as the direct object, and often appears in the negative ('don't hold it against them').
Pitfall
Don't hold against me it.
Don't hold it against me.
The pronoun 'it' must come between the verb and the preposition in this structure.
Phrasal verb
Particles
against
Separability
separable
Pattern
hold + object + against + person
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related words
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/hold-against