Walking Away From Fear And Finding Courage
B1 English listening practice · English · Curated for intermediate learners
What does “hold someone back” mean?
In this student’s talk on facing fear, the message turns on a phrasal verb: «those make us feel anxious and holding us back from doing great things». To hold someone back is to stop them from moving forward or reaching their potential, whether it’s fear, doubt, or other people doing the holding.
Like many English phrasal verbs, the two words together mean more than their parts: hold (“grip”) plus back (“behind”) gives “restrain, prevent from advancing.” Watch the patterns: “don’t hold back” (“give it everything”), “hold yourself back,” “what’s holding you back?” It’s everyday English for whatever keeps you stuck.
Vocabulary frequency
How common is the vocabulary in this B1 English listening practice listening practice?
General English frequency
Spoken English frequency
Words above this video’s level
Quick glosses for vocabulary that goes beyond this video’s B1 level.
Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-US 2012 (spoken). Buckets approximate; exact ranks not stored.
- ▸English motivational talks and TED-style speeches on fear and confidence.
- ▸In job interviews and coaching: “what’s holding you back?”
- ▸English phrasal-verb lessons grouping hold on, hold up, hold back.
- ▸Everyday pep talks: “don’t hold back.”