Adjacent Words

Withhold definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

WITHHOLD, v.t. pret. and pp. withheld. [with and hold.]
1. TO hold back; to restrain; to keep from action.
Withhold--your hasty hand.
If our passions may be withheld.
2. To retain; to keep back; not to grant; as, to withhold assent to a proposition. The sun does not withhold his light.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: hold back; refuse to hand over or share; "The father is withholding the allowance until the son cleans his room" [syn: withhold, keep back]
2: retain and refrain from disbursing; of payments; "My employer is withholding taxes" [syn: withhold, deduct, recoup]

Merriam Webster's

verb (withheld; -holding) Etymology: Middle English, from with from + holden to hold — more at with Date: 13th century transitive verb 1. to hold back from action ; check 2. archaic to keep in custody 3. to refrain from granting, giving, or allowing <withhold permission> 4. to deduct (withholding tax) from income intransitive verb forbear, refrain <withhold from commenting> Synonyms: see keep • withholder noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. (past and past part. -held) 1 (often foll. by from) hold back; restrain. 2 refuse to give, grant, or allow (withhold one's consent; withhold the truth). Derivatives: withholder n. Etymology: ME f. with- away (as WITH) + HOLD(1)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Withhold With*hold", v. t. [imp. Withheld; p. p. Withheld, Obs. or Archaic Withholden; p. pr. & vb. n. Withholding.] [With again, against, back + hold.] 1. To hold back; to restrain; to keep from action. Withhold, O sovereign prince, your hasty hand From knitting league with him. --Spenser. 2. To retain; to keep back; not to grant; as, to withhold assent to a proposition. Forbid who will, none shall from me withhold Longer thy offered good. --Milton. 3. To keep; to maintain; to retain. [Obs.] To withhold it the more easily in heart. --Chaucer.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(withholds, withholding, withheld) If you withhold something that someone wants, you do not let them have it. (FORMAL) Police withheld the dead boy's name yesterday until relatives could be told... Financial aid for Britain has been withheld... VERB: V n, V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Restrain, suppress, repress, keep in, rein in. 2. Retain, suppress, keep back.

Moby Thesaurus

abstain, abstain from, arrest, avoid, begrudge, bit, bosom, bridle, check, classify, close the hand, conceal, conserve, constrain, contain, control, cool, cool off, curb, curtail, decelerate, deny, detain, disallow, do without, dompt, enjoin, eschew, file and forget, forbear, forgo, govern, grudge, guard, hinder, hold, hold aloof from, hold at bay, hold back, hold down, hold fast, hold in, hold in check, hold in leash, hold out on, hold up, husband, in petto, inhibit, keep, keep back, keep between us, keep buttoned up, keep by one, keep close, keep dark, keep from, keep in, keep in check, keep in ignorance, keep in reserve, keep in store, keep mum, keep on hand, keep out, keep secret, keep snug, keep under control, keep under wraps, lay by, lay under restraint, let alone, let go by, make no sign, never let on, never touch, not give away, not tell, not touch, pass up, play dumb, preserve, prohibit, pull, pull in, put apart, put aside, put by, refrain, refrain from, refuse, rein, rein in, reserve, restrain, retain, retard, retrench, save, save up, secrete, set apart, set aside, set back, set by, shun, slow down, snub, spare, stand aloof from, straiten, veil