Hold Water

Pronunciation: /hoʊld ˈwɔtər/

Definitions of hold water

verb to be valid or sound; to stand up to scrutiny or criticism

Example Sentences

A1 I don't think his excuse will hold water.

A2 Her argument didn't hold water in the debate.

B1 The evidence presented in court did not hold water.

B2 The theory proposed by the scientist seems to hold water.

C1 The company's financial projections seem to hold water according to the experts.

C2 The new policy proposal needs to be thoroughly analyzed to see if it will hold water.

Examples of hold water in a Sentence

formal The scientific evidence presented by the researcher seems to hold water.

informal I'm not sure if his excuse will hold water with the boss.

slang I don't think his story really holds water.

figurative The argument made by the politician doesn't really hold water.

Grammatical Forms of hold water

• past tense: held
• plural: hold
• comparative: more holding
• superlative: most holding
• present tense: hold
• future tense: will hold
• perfect tense: have held
• continuous tense: is holding
• singular: holds
• positive degree: hold
• infinitive: to hold
• gerund: holding
• participle: held

Origin and Evolution of hold water

First Known Use: 1601 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The phrase 'hold water' originated from the idea of a container or vessel being able to retain or contain liquid without leaking.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the phrase 'hold water' has evolved to mean having validity or being able to withstand scrutiny or criticism.