If you hold someone down, you keep them under control and do not allow them to have much freedom or power or many rights. Everyone thinks there is some vast conspiracy wanting to hold down the younger generation
If you hold down a job or a place in a team, you manage to keep it. He never could hold down a job Constant injury problems had made it tough for him to hold down a regular first team place
[ 'hOld ] (verb.) before 12th century. Middle English, from Old English healdan; akin to Old High German haltan to hold, and perhaps to Latin celer rapid, Greek klonos agitation.