hold fast

hold fast verb: to stubbornly resist assault, pressure or opposition, either physically or mentally.

Verb

hold fast (third-person singular simple present holds fast, present participle holding fast, simple past and past participle held fast)

(idiomatic) To stubbornly resist assault, pressure or opposition, either physically or mentally.
- And now, while both elastic gunwales were springing in and out, as the whale dallied with the doomed craft in this devilish way; and from his body being submerged beneath the boat, he could not be darted at from the bows, for the bows were almost inside of him, as it were; and while the other boats...1851, Herman Melville, Moby Dick
- If we take science as our sole guide, if we accept and hold fast that alone which is verifiable, the old theology must go.1900, John Burroughs, The Light of Day
Synonyms:

hold firm, hold hard, hold one's ground, stand firm, stand fast, stand one's ground

Antonyms:

let go, leave go, leave hold
A formal command to a ship's crew to grasp and hold on to a solid fitting, such as ropes or rails, to avoid being swept overboard, especially during a storm.
- All hands...hold fast!
Synonyms:

hold hard

ஊன்றும், கதவுப் பிடிமானம், பற்றுக்கால்

These floated aside, the broken ends drooping, the crew at the stern-wreck clinging to the gunwales, and striving to hold fast to the oars to lash them across.1851, Herman Melville, Moby Dick
Hold fast to dreams / For if dreams die / Life is a broken-winged bird / That cannot fly. // Hold fast to dreams / For when dreams go / Life is a barren field / Frozen with snow.1923, Langston Hughes, Poem "Dreams" in entirety
Both now and for always, I intend to hold fast to my belief in the hidden strength of the human spirit.1975, Andrei Sakharov, Autobiographical sketch at the official Nobel Prize site

third-person singular present	holds fast
present participle	holding fast
past participle	held fast
past	held fast

A verbal phrase composed of the words: hold ("grasp", "grip") and fast ("resolutely", "steadfastly").

What does hold fast mean?: Hold fast means to stubbornly resist assault, pressure or opposition, either physically or mentally.
What is hold fast in Tamil?: Hold fast in Tamil is ஊன்றும், கதவுப் பிடிமானம், பற்றுக்கால். See Hold fast meaning in Tamil.
How do you use hold fast in a sentence?: These floated aside, the broken ends drooping, the crew at the stern-wreck clinging to the gunwales, and striving to hold fast to the oars to lash them across.
What part of speech is hold fast?: Hold fast is a verb.
What is the past tense of hold fast?: The past tense of hold fast is held fast.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Cite this entry: “hold fast.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/hold_fast. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.