Definition

1. Noun:
   • A refusal to agree or comply: A holdout is a person, group, or entity that refuses to accept an agreement, demand, or prevailing condition, often to gain a more favorable outcome.
   • A negotiator who refuses to settle: Specifically, a holdout is a negotiator who withholds agreement in the hope of securing better terms or concessions.
   • An instance of withholding agreement: The act or period of refusing to come to terms.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The last landowner was a holdout, refusing to sell his property to the developers.
  • The player's holdout lasted through training camp as he sought a better contract.
  • After weeks of negotiation, the union ended its holdout and accepted the new deal.

Advanced Usage

• "To be the lone holdout": To be the only person or party refusing to agree in a group.
  • She was the lone holdout on the jury, preventing a unanimous verdict.
• "Holdout period": The duration during which someone refuses to agree.
  • The lengthy holdout period delayed the project's start.

Variants and Related Words

• Hold out (phrasal verb): To resist, to endure, or to offer.
  • He decided to hold out for a higher salary.
• Holdout (adjective, attributive): Used to describe a person or group employing this tactic.
  • The holdout investors finally agreed to the merger terms.

Synonyms

• Diehard: A person who stubbornly refuses to change or adapt.
• Intransigent: Unwilling to change one's views or agree about something.
• Nonconformist: A person whose behavior or views do not conform to prevailing ideas or practices.

Related Phrases

• Hold out for something: To wait or refuse to agree until one gets a specific, desired thing.
  • The actor is holding out for a percentage of the film's profits.
• Hold out against something: To resist or endure against something.
  • The small town held out against the proposed highway construction.

Related Idioms

• Hold out an olive branch: To make a gesture of peace or reconciliation. (Note: This idiom uses the phrasal verb "hold out," not the noun "holdout").
  • After the dispute, he was the first to hold out an olive branch.

Noun

1. the act of hiding playing cards in a gambling game so they are available for personal use later
2. a refusal by a negotiator to come to terms in the hope of obtaining a better deal
3. a negotiator who hopes to gain concessions by refusing to come to terms
   • their star pitcher was a holdout for six weeks