Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

hold a candle for

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.86 in modern English

Syllables: hold a -can-dle -for
IPA

24

Scrabble Score

14

Letters

4

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To feel romantic attraction for.

Example Sentences

"Despite Dawson now having the starring role, she still held a candle for her celebrity crush."
"Now, I hold no candle for the train operators, and I think that in the main they have been far too craven about any government proposals. But in this instance, they have been badly traduced, led up the hill, and then chucked back down it."

Inflected Forms

holds a candle for (present, singular) holding a candle for (participle, present) held a candle for (participle, past) held a candle for (past)

Phrases

hold a candle

Frequently Paired Words

hold a candle

Synonyms

hold a torch for

Questions

What does hold a candle for mean?: To feel romantic attraction for.

How to pronounce hold a candle for

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “hold a candle for”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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