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no holds barred

Nō hold barred
N n

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [noh hohld bahrd]
    • /noʊ hoʊld bɑrd/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [noh hohld bahrd]
    • /noʊ hoʊld bɑrd/

Definitions of no holds barred words

  • verb with object no holds barred to have or keep in the hand; keep fast; grasp: She held the purse in her right hand. He held the child's hand in his. 1
  • verb with object no holds barred to set aside; reserve or retain: to hold merchandise until called for; to hold a reservation. 1
  • verb with object no holds barred to bear, sustain, or support, as with the hands or arms, or by any other means. 1
  • verb with object no holds barred to keep in a specified state, relation, etc.: The preacher held them spellbound. 1
  • verb with object no holds barred to detain: The police held him at the station house. 1
  • verb with object no holds barred to engage in; preside over; carry on: to hold a meeting. 1
See all 53 definitions of no holds barred

Information block about the term

Origin of no holds barred

First appearance:

before 900
One of the 4% oldest English words
before 900; Middle English holden, Old English h(e)aldan; cognate with Old Frisian, Old Norse halda, Old Saxon, Gothic haldan, Old High German haltan (German halten)

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for No holds barred

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Full grammatical hierarchy of No holds barred

no holds barred popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 100% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

no holds barred usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for no holds barred

adj no holds barred

  • absolute — Absolute means total and complete.
  • all out — not at one's home or place of employment; absent: I stopped by to visit you last night, but you were out.
  • boundless — If you describe something as boundless, you mean that there seems to be no end or limit to it.
  • categorical — If you are categorical about something, you state your views very definitely and firmly.
  • limitless — without limit; boundless: limitless ambition; limitless space.

adv no holds barred

  • by all means — You can say 'by all means' to tell someone that you are very willing to allow them to do something.
  • categorically — without exceptions or conditions; absolute; unqualified and unconditional: a categorical denial.
  • decidedly — Decidedly means to a great extent and in a way that is very obvious.
  • decisively — having the power or quality of deciding; putting an end to controversy; crucial or most important: Your argument was the decisive one.
  • determinedly — resolute; staunch: the determined defenders of the Alamo.

noun no holds barred

  • carte blanche — If someone gives you carte blanche, they give you the authority to do whatever you think is right.

adverb no holds barred

  • amen — Amen is said by Christians at the end of a prayer.
  • flat — horizontally level: a flat roof.
  • free — enjoying personal rights or liberty, as a person who is not in slavery: a land of free people.
  • frenziedly — In a frenzied manner.
  • malignly — In a malign manner.
All 25 Synonyms of no holds barred

Antonyms for no holds barred

adjective no holds barred

  • circumscribed — to draw a line around; encircle: to circumscribe a city on a map.
  • ending — An end or final part of something, especially a period of time, an activity, or a book or movie.
  • exhaustible — Capable of being exhausted.
  • measureable — Misspelling of measurable.
All 4 Antonyms of no holds barred

See also

Matching words

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