Business English vocabulary · Phone and Video Calls
Hold on
Meaning in business english, with examples
/ˌhoʊld ˈɑːn/phrasal verbCore term
In business english, hold on means: To wait for a short time, especially on the phone while the other person checks something or transfers the call.
In Turkish: beklemek, hatta kalmak, bir saniye beklemek
How it is used
Informal: 'Hold on a second', 'Can you hold on while I check?' More formal: 'Please hold' or 'Would you mind holding?' Being 'on hold' means waiting on a phone line, often listening to music.
Example sentences
Hold on a moment, I'll just check the order number.
I was on hold for twenty minutes before someone answered.
Common collocations
hold on a second
hold on a moment
put someone on hold
on hold
Related terms
put throughTo connect a caller to the person or department they want to speak to, usually done by a receptionist or switchboard.
voicemailA system that records phone messages when the person you call does not answer; also a single recorded message.
go aheadA short phrase that tells someone they may start speaking or doing something, for example when two people talk at once on a call.
conference callA phone or online call in which three or more people in different places talk together at the same time.
