ahold
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: adverb/2
All four cover the idea of making successful contact with a person, but they differ in register and region. 'Get ahold of' is informal American English — natural in spoken conversation, text messages, and casual emails ('I've been trying to get ahold of you all day'). 'Get hold of' carries the same meaning and tone but is the standard British form; American speakers use it too, just less often than 'ahold'. 'Reach' is shorter and works in both speech and writing ('Please reach me at this number'). 'Contact' is the most formal and is the safe choice for business letters, official notices, and forms ('Contact our customer service team'). In a job application you would write 'Please feel free to contact me'; with a friend you would text 'Try to get ahold of me later'.
Common collocations
Phrases
- get ahold of
- grab ahold of
- take ahold of
- keep ahold of
- lay ahold of
- get ahold of yourself
Prepositions
- ahold of
Etymology
'Ahold' formed in English by joining the prefix 'a-' (meaning 'in' or 'on', as in 'asleep' or 'aboard') with the noun 'hold' ('the act of grasping'). It first appeared in the late 1500s as a sailing term meaning 'close to the wind'. The modern American use in 'get ahold of' grew in the 1800s and is now mostly informal North American English; British dictionaries usually prefer the older 'get hold of'.