“hold on for dear life”
To "hold on for dear life" means to grip or cling to something as tightly as possible, often out of fear or desperation, as if one's survival depended on it. It can be used both literally, when physically hanging on to something, and figuratively, when struggling to maintain control or survive a difficult situation. Listen to how native speakers pronounce "hold on for dear life" in the video clips below.
Hear how "hold on for dear life" sounds in real speech — 1,000 examples from 10 videos, movies, and TV shows. Sources: How I Met Your Mother 20 05, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Abroad in Japan, Valuetainment, Dude Perfect and 3 more.
1,000
clips found
10
videos
Examples in video
YouTubeThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon898K views · 2025-12-17
Finn Wolfhard Teases Stranger Things' Final Episodes w/ One Word, Reminisces on Emotional Last Scene
“Hold on for dear life,
I guess.”
-And go for it?
-Yeah. … -You recorded this in Chicago,
Play at 5:07
YouTubeThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon1.1M views · 2025-12-25
Stranger Things 5 on The Tonight Show (Vol. 1) | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
“Hold on for dear life,
I guess.”
-And go for it?
-Yeah. … -You recorded this in Chicago,
Play at 51:51
YouTubeAbroad in Japan1.3M views · 2022-09-26
I Injured Myself in Japan's Most Extreme South | Okinawa
“hold on for dear life and pull in a”
things go wrong … respectable 18 seconds before they go
Play at 24:08
YouTubeValuetainment251K views · 2026-02-06
“$2 Trillion LOST In Crypto” - Bitcoin & XRP Wobble As CRYPTO CRASH Fears Grow
“uh hold on for dear life versus versus a”
called? … long-term holder that this is a great
Play at 10:21
YouTubeDude Perfect28.4M views · 2021-11-22
Alaska Bucket List
“And hold on for dear life.”
You got to place both hands
on it, hold on to it tightly. … And in between your legs,
you'll have this black mat.
Play at 0:56
YouTubeTrash Taste3.9M views · 2020-10-30
We Tried Real Tokyo Drifting and FAILED | Trash Taste Special
“- [Garnt] Hold on for dear life.”
(car engine roaring) … Oh God!
Play at 26:56
YouTubeThe Diary Of A CEO5.6M views · 2024-10-31
Ex-Pentagon Official: The U.S Isn't Telling The Truth! Top-Secret UFO Encounters Finally Uncovered!
“you just had to hold on for dear life”
you off and Shred you into pieces and … yeah it was um it was stressful in
Play at 1:23:30
YouTubeDude Perfect24.5M views · 2023-04-01
World's Strongest Dude
“you'd better hold
on for dear life.”
And if you want to hold
a spot in the finale, … You're going to hold these
pillars for as long as you can.
Play at 7:11
YouTubePatrick (H) Willems132K views · 2024-10-03
The Infinite Possibilities of Train Action Scenes | Blue Flame Special
“try to hold on for dear life Paddington”
exciting just watching the characters … 2 kind of does a bit of an homage to
Play at 18:47
TV ShowHow I Met Your Mother 20 05
How I Met Your Mother 20 05 — S04E21
“you just hold on for dear lifeand hope you don't drop your keys.”
You got to wait in a long line,but once you get up there, … Hey, you know what I'm gonna do?I'm gonna call her right now.
Play at 0:36
Can't play this one yet, but your timecode is ready — 0:36