Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

holdout

/ˈhoʊldˌaʊt/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.44 in modern English

Syllables: hold-out
IPA: /ˈhoʊldˌaʊt/

11

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

One who refuses to give consent to an agreement in the hope of an improved offer; one who holds out; one who clings to a cause that has been mostly abandoned.

noun

A device for cheating at card games by covertly holding a card out of play until it is wanted.

Example Sentences

"If Facebook chooses to remain a holdout, it will not be as the head of a countercoalition but as a cranky recluse."
"One of Otto’s first moves after Viserys’ death is to make the lords and ladies of the Red Keep bend the knee to Aegon. The two holdouts are swiftly carted away by the guards, while the third, Rhaenyra’s faithful Lord Caswell (Paul Hickey), reluctantly kneels."
"He is probably working a vest or sleeve hold-out. Some clumsy or audacious sharpers will go so far as to hold out cards in their lap, or stick them in a "bug" under the table."

Etymology

Deverbal from hold out.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈhoʊldˌaʊt/

Inflected Forms

holdouts (plural)

Phrases

nail house

Frequently Paired Words

holdover nail house

Questions

How do you pronounce holdout?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈhoʊldˌaʊt/.
What does holdout mean?: One who refuses to give consent to an agreement in the hope of an improved offer; one who holds out; one who clings to a cause that has been mostly abandoned.
Where does holdout come from?: Deverbal from hold out.

How to pronounce holdout

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “holdout”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈhoʊldˌaʊt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “holdout”.
Repeat and practice — Say “holdout” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.