Meaning trap
hold up
delay
To cause someone or something to be late or to slow down.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To cause someone or something to be late or to slow down.
Another meaning of 'hold up' is 'support'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
Sorry I'm late—the traffic really held me up this morning.
If public transport is unreliable, it can hold up commuters and make them late for work or school.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: Sorry, I don't want to hold up you.
Say: Sorry, I don't want to hold you up.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle — 'hold you up', not 'hold up you'.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Hold up' is the everyday verb for delaying someone. The formal apology is corporate.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
hold up + person/thing
- traffic
- the queue
- you
- the project
Don't confuse it
Related
Other meanings and phrases to compare.
- hold up (support) — Another meaning of 'hold up' is 'support'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.