Hol' up is AAVE for 'hold up' — used as an imperative to tell someone to wait, pause, or slow down. The dropped 'd' reflects natural AAVE phonology and is always used in speech (or speech-mimicking text). It has spread widely through hip-hop, social media, and meme culture, where it typically signals confusion, disbelief, or a request for clarification before proceeding. 'Wait, hol' up' is a classic setup phrase in reaction content.
"hol' up" means hol' up is aave for 'hold up' — used as an imperative to tell someone to wait, pause, or slow down. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Hol' up — you're telling me they announced it and didn't even drop a trailer?
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(AAVE, always imperative) (to wait or delay).
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