動詞
令到自己嘅慾望同行為喺自己嘅 控制之下，唔會做出一啲違反道德或者法律嘅行為。 to keep ones desires and behaviour under control to comply with ones moral standard (e.g. to be loyal to ones spouse) or the law.
佢把持唔住自己，所以就有呢個感情缺失。
佢把持唔住自己，所以就有呢个感情缺失。
keoi5 baa2 ci4 m4 zyu6 zi6 gei2, so2 ji5 zau6 jau5 ni1 go3 gam2 cing4 kyut3 sat1. He couldn't control his emotion, and that's why he was in a love affair and had regrettable moments in his love life.
動詞
即係 控制住一個組織或者群體嘅權力，但係用得呢個字都係有負面嘅意思。 (usually with a negative connotation) to have full control of an organisation or a group
佢把持住成支警隊，可以為所欲為，見人就拉。
佢把持住成支警队，可以为所欲为，见人就拉。
keoi5 baa2 ci4 zyu6 seng4 zi1 ging2 deoi2, ho2 ji5 wai4 so2 juk6 wai4, gin3 jan4 zau6 laai1. He controls the entire police force, he can do whatever he wants and can arrest anyone as he wish.
He controls the entire police force, he can do whatever he wants and can arrest anyone as he wish.
Examples (Wiktionary)
Mandarin
在无产阶级文化大革命中，为一小撮执行资产阶级反动路线的人所把持的《西藏日报》不但没有贯彻您的指示，相反抵制您的指示，忠实地为资产阶级反动路线服务，所以我们造了区党委一小撮坚持资产阶级反动路线者的反。
在無產階級文化大革命中，為一小撮執行資產階級反動路線的人所把持的《西藏日報》不但沒有貫徹您的指示，相反抵制您的指示，忠實地為資產階級反動路線服務，所以我們造了區黨委一小撮堅持資產階級反動路線者的反。
zài wú chǎn jiē jí wén huà dà gé mìng zhōng ， wéi yī xiǎo cuō zhí xíng zī chǎn jiē jí fǎn dòng lù xiàn de rén suǒ bǎ chí de “ xī zàng rì bào ” bù dàn méi yǒu guàn chè nín de zhǐ shì ， xiàng fǎn dǐ zhì nín de zhǐ shì ， zhōng shí dì wèi zī chǎn jiē jí fǎn dòng lù xiàn fú wù ， suǒ yǐ wǒ men zào le qū dǎng wěi yī xiǎo cuō jiān chí zī chǎn jiē jí fǎn dòng lù xiàn zhě de fǎn ．
X
Mandarin
但是土豪劣绅把持乡政时加于农民的苛捐如亩捐等，却因农民运动的兴起、土豪劣绅的倒塌而取消，至少也减轻了。
但是土豪劣紳把持鄉政時加於農民的苛捐如畝捐等，卻因農民運動的興起、土豪劣紳的倒塌而取消，至少也減輕了。
dàn shì tǔ háo liè shēn bǎ chí xiāng zhèng shí jiā yú nóng mín de kē juān rú mǔ juān děng ， què yīn nóng mín yùn dòng de xīng qǐ ， tǔ háo liè shēn de dǎo tā ér qǔ xiāo ， zhì shǎo yě jiǎn qīng le ．
However, the exorbitant levies imposed on the peasants when the local tyrants and evil gentry dominated rural administration, e.g., the surcharge on each mu of land, have been abolished or at least reduced with the rise of the peasant movement and the downfall of the local tyrants and evil gentry.