Keep vs. Hold — What's the Difference?
By Urooj Arif & Fiza Rafique — Updated on March 14, 2024
Keep emphasizes maintaining possession or condition, while hold focuses on physically grasping or containing something.
Difference Between Keep and Hold
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Keep involves maintaining possession, condition, or adhering to a particular state or activity over time. It suggests a continuous effort or intention to retain something, such as keeping a promise or keeping a room clean. On the other hand, hold refers to the act of physically grasping, carrying, or containing something in one's hands or arms. It emphasizes the action of possession or control over something for a temporary period, like holding a book or holding a position in a queue.
While "keep" is often used in contexts that imply preservation, such as keeping food fresh, "hold" is commonly employed to describe the act of restraining or supporting something, like holding a door open. This distinction highlights the different nuances in usage, depending on whether the focus is on the duration and maintenance of a state or the immediate physical control.
"Keep" can also imply compliance or adherence to a set of rules, expectations, or conditions, suggesting a broader application beyond physical objects. For instance, keeping a secret involves neither holding it physically nor maintaining its condition but rather adhering to a commitment. Conversely, "hold" is used in expressions that denote physical capacity or the ability to contain, as in a container's ability to hold water, focusing more on the aspect of accommodation or restraint.
In relationships or emotional contexts, to "keep someone close" implies an emotional bond and the desire to maintain a relationship over time, whereas to "hold someone" focuses on the physical act of embracing. These usages further illustrate how "keep" encompasses a wider range of actions related to preservation and adherence, while "hold" more directly relates to physical actions and capacities.
Despite their differences, "keep" and "hold" can sometimes be used interchangeably in certain phrases, reflecting the overlap in their meanings concerning possession and control. For example, "keep the fort" and "hold the fort" both convey the idea of maintaining control or oversight, demonstrating how context can influence the choice between these two verbs.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
To maintain possession, condition, or adherence
To physically grasp, carry, or contain something
Usage Context
Preservation, compliance, emotional bonds
Physical control, capacity, immediate action
Examples
Keeping a promise, keeping food fresh
Holding a book, holding a position
Emotional/Relational Connotation
Emotional bond, desire to maintain a relationship
Physical act of embracing
Focus
Duration, maintenance of a state
Immediate physical control, capacity
Compare with Definitions
Keep
To maintain possession or condition of something.
She keeps her family photos well-organized.
Hold
To contain or be capable of containing.
This cup holds exactly one pint.
Keep
To adhere to or fulfill a requirement or promise.
He always keeps his word.
Hold
To have or keep in the hand; keep fast; grasp.
He held the child's hand crossing the street.
Keep
To hold or retain in one's possession or control.
She decided to keep the lost puppy she found.
Hold
To support or bear the weight of, especially from below.
The shelves are strong enough to hold many books.
Keep
To continue or persist in an action or state.
Keep practicing, and you'll improve.
Hold
To maintain control, influence, or possession of.
She holds a significant stake in the company.
Keep
To cause to remain in a given place, situation, or condition.
Keep the door closed, please.
Hold
To reserve or retain something for someone.
Please hold a table for us at 7 PM.
Keep
A keep (from the Middle English kype) is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the castle fall to an adversary.
Hold
To have and keep in one's grasp
Held the reins tightly.
Keep
To retain possession of
Kept the change.
Must keep your composure.
Hold
To aim or direct; point
Held a hose on the fire.
Keep
To have as a supply
Keep spare parts in case of emergency.
Hold
To keep from falling or moving; support
A nail too small to hold the mirror.
Hold the horse steady.
Papers that were held together with staples.
Keep
To provide (a family, for example) with maintenance and support
"There's little to earn and many to keep" (Charles Kingsley).
Hold
To sustain the pressure of
The old bridge can't hold much weight.
Keep
To support (a mistress or lover) financially.
Hold
To keep from departing or getting away
Hold the bus! Hold the dog until I find the leash.
Keep
To put customarily; store
Where do you keep your saw?.
Hold
To keep in custody
Held the suspect for questioning.
Keep
To supply with room and board for a charge
Keep boarders.
Hold
To retain (one's attention or interest)
Televised sports can't hold my interest.
Keep
To raise
Keep chickens.
Hold
To avoid letting out or expelling
The swimmer held her breath while underwater.
Keep
To maintain for use or service
An urbanite who didn't keep a car.
Hold
To be filled by; contain
This drawer holds socks.
Keep
To manage, tend, or have charge of
Keep the shop while I'm away.
Hold
To be capable of holding
A pitcher that holds a quart.
Keep
To preserve (food).
Hold
To have as a chief characteristic or quality
The film holds many surprises.
Keep
To cause to continue in a state, condition, or course of action
Tried to keep the patient calm.
Hold
To have in store
Let's see what the future holds.
Keep
To maintain records or entries in
Keep a yearly diary.
Hold
To have and maintain in one's possession
Holds a great deal of property.
Keep
To enter (data) in a book
Keep financial records.
Hold
To have as a responsible position or a privilege
Held the governorship for six years.
Keep
To detain
Was kept after school.
Hold
To have in recognition of achievement or superiority
Holds the record for the one-mile race.
Holds the respect of her peers.
Keep
To restrain
Kept the child away from the stove.
Kept the crowd back with barriers.
Hold
To maintain control over
Thieves held the stolen painting for ransom.
Keep
To prevent or deter
Tried to keep the ice from melting.
Hold
To maintain occupation of by force or coercion
Protesters held the embassy for a week.
Keep
To refrain from divulging
Keep a secret.
Hold
To withstand the efforts or advance of (an opposing team, for example).
Keep
To save; reserve
Keep extra money for emergencies.
Hold
To maintain in a given condition, situation, or action
The storyteller held the crowd spellbound.
Keep
To adhere or conform to; follow
Keep late hours.
Hold
To impose control or restraint on; curb
She held her temper.
Keep
To be faithful to; fulfill
Keep one's word.
Hold
To stop the movement or progress of
Hold the presses!.
Keep
To celebrate; observe
Keep the Sabbath.
Hold
To reserve or keep back from use
Please hold two tickets for us. Hold the relish on that hamburger.
Keep
To remain in a state or condition; stay
Keep in line.
Keep quiet.
Kept well.
Hold
To defer the immediate handling of
The receptionist held all calls during the meeting.
Keep
To continue to do
Keep on talking.
Keep guessing.
Hold
To own or have title to.
Keep
To remain fresh or unspoiled
The dessert won't keep.
Hold
To be in possession of, whether legally entitled or not
Holds an interest in the company.
Keep
To restrain oneself; hold oneself back
I couldn't keep from eavesdropping.
Hold
To bind by a contract.
Keep
Care; charge
The child is in my keep for the day.
Hold
To adjudge or decree
The court held that the defendant was at fault.
Keep
The means by which one is supported
Earn one's keep.
Hold
To make accountable; obligate
He held me to my promise.
Keep
The stronghold of a castle.
Hold
To keep in the mind or convey as a judgment, conviction, or point of view
Holds that this economic program is the only answer to high prices.
Keep
A jail.
Hold
To assert or affirm, especially formally
This doctrine holds that people are inherently good.
Keep
To continue in (a course or mode of action); to not intermit or fall from; to uphold or maintain.
To keep silence;
To keep possession
Hold
To regard in a certain way
I hold you in high esteem.
Keep
To remain faithful to a given promise or word.
To keep one's word;
To keep one's promise
Hold
To cause to take place; carry on
Held the race in Texas.
Hold a yard sale.
Keep
(transitive) To hold the status of something.
Hold
To assemble for and conduct the activity of; convene
Held a meeting of the board.
Keep
To maintain possession of.
I keep a small stock of painkillers for emergencies.
Hold
To carry or support (the body or a bodily part) in a certain position
Can the baby hold herself up yet? Hold up your leg.
Keep
To maintain the condition of; to preserve in a certain state.
I keep my specimens under glass to protect them.
The abundance of squirrels kept the dogs running for hours.
Hold
To cover (the ears or the nose, for example) especially for protection
Held my nose against the stench.
Keep
(transitive) To record transactions, accounts, or events in.
I used to keep a diary.
Hold
To maintain a grasp or grip on something.
Keep
(transitive) To enter (accounts, records, etc.) in a book.
Hold
To stay securely fastened
The chain held.
Keep
(archaic) To remain in; to be confined to.
Hold
To maintain a desired or accustomed position or condition
Hopes the weather will hold.
Keep
To restrain.
I keep my pet gerbil away from my brother.
Don't let me keep you; I know you have things to be doing.
Hold
To withstand stress, pressure, or opposition
The defense held. We held firm on the negotiations.
Keep
(with from) To watch over, look after, guard, protect.
May the Lord keep you from harm.
Hold
To continue in the same direction
The ship held to an easterly course.
Keep
To supply with necessities and financially support (a person).
He kept a mistress for over ten years.
Hold
To be valid, applicable, or true
The observation still holds in cases like this.
Keep
(of living things) To raise; to care for.
He has been keeping orchids since retiring.
Hold
To halt an intended action. Often used in the imperative.
Keep
To refrain from freely disclosing (a secret).
Hold
To stop the countdown during a missile or spacecraft launch.
Keep
To maintain (an establishment or institution); to conduct; to manage.
Hold
(Slang) To have in one's possession illicit or illegally obtained material or goods, especially narcotics
The suspect was holding.
Keep
To have habitually in stock for sale.
Hold
The act or a means of grasping.
Keep
(intransitive) To hold or be held in a state.
Hold
A manner of grasping an opponent, as in wrestling or aikido
A neck hold.
An arm hold.
Keep
(obsolete) To reside for a time; to lodge; to dwell.
She kept to her bed while the fever lasted.
Hold
Something that may be grasped or gripped, as for support.
Keep
To continue.
I keep taking the tablets, but to no avail.
Hold
A control or adjustor on a television that keeps the screen image in proper position
Adjusted the horizontal hold.
Keep
To remain edible or otherwise usable.
Potatoes can keep if they are in a root cellar.
Latex paint won't keep indefinitely.
Hold
A telephone service that allows one to temporarily interrupt a call without severing the connection.
Keep
(copulative) To remain in a state.
The rabbit avoided detection by keeping still.
Keep calm! There's no need to panic.
Hold
A bond or force that attaches or restrains, or by which something is affected or dominated
A writer with a strong hold on her readership.
Keep
(obsolete) To wait for, keep watch for.
Hold
Complete control
Has a firm hold on the complex issues.
Keep
To act as wicket-keeper.
Godfrey Evans kept for England for many years.
Hold
Full understanding
Has a good hold on physics.
Keep
To take care; to be solicitous; to watch.
Hold
The sustaining of a note longer than its indicated time value.
Keep
To be in session; to take place.
School keeps today.
Hold
The symbol designating this pause; a fermata.
Keep
(transitive) To observe; to adhere to; to fulfill; to not swerve from or violate.
Hold
A direction or indication that something is to be reserved or deferred.
Keep
To visit (a place) often; to frequent.
Hold
A temporary halt, as in a countdown.
Keep
To observe or celebrate (a holiday).
The feast of St. Stephen is kept on December 26.
Hold
A prison cell.
Keep
(historical) The main tower of a castle or fortress, located within the castle walls.
Hold
The state of being in confinement; custody.
Keep
The food or money required to keep someone alive and healthy; one's support, maintenance.
He works as a cobbler's apprentice for his keep.
Hold
(Archaic) A fortified place; a stronghold.
Keep
(obsolete) The act or office of keeping; custody; guard; care; heed; charge; notice.
Hold
The lower interior part of a ship or airplane where cargo is stored.
Keep
The state of being kept; hence, the resulting condition; case.
To be in good keep
Hold
(transitive) To grasp or grip.
Hold the pencil like this.
Keep
(obsolete) That which is kept in charge; a charge.
Hold
(transitive) To contain or store.
This package holds six bottles.
Keep
(engineering) A cap for holding something, such as a journal box, in place.
Hold
(heading) To maintain or keep to a position or state.
Keep
To care; to desire.
I kepe not of armes for to yelp [boast].
Hold
(transitive) To have and keep possession of something.
Hold my coat for me.
The general ordered the colonel to hold his position at all costs.
Keep
To hold; to restrain from departure or removal; not to let go of; to retain in one's power or possession; not to lose; to retain; to detain.
If we lose the field,We can not keep the town.
That I may know what keeps me here with you.
If we would weigh and keep in our minds what we are considering, that would instruct us.
Hold
(transitive) To reserve.
Hold a table for us at 7:00.
Keep
To cause to remain in a given situation or condition; to maintain unchanged; to hold or preserve in any state or tenor.
His loyalty he kept, his love, his zeal.
Keep a stiff rein, and move but gently on.
Hold
(transitive) To cause to wait or delay.
Hold the elevator.
Keep
To have in custody; to have in some place for preservation; to take charge of.
The crown of Stephanus, first king of Hungary, was always kept in the castle of Vicegrade.
Hold
(transitive) To detain.
Hold the suspect in this cell.
Keep
To preserve from danger, harm, or loss; to guard.
Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee.
Hold
To be or remain valid; to apply (usually in the third person).
To hold true;
The proposition holds.
Keep
To preserve from discovery or publicity; not to communicate, reveal, or betray, as a secret.
Great are thy virtues . . . though kept from man.
Hold
To keep oneself in a particular state.
To hold firm
Keep
To attend upon; to have the care of; to tend.
And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it.
In her girlish age, she kept sheep on the moor.
Hold
(transitive) To impose restraint upon; to limit in motion or action; to bind legally or morally; to confine; to restrain.
Keep
To record transactions, accounts, or events in; as, to keep books, a journal, etc.; also, to enter (as accounts, records, etc. ) in a book.
Hold
(transitive) To bear, carry, or manage.
He holds himself proudly erect.
Hold your head high.
Keep
To maintain, as an establishment, institution, or the like; to conduct; to manage; as, to keep store.
Like a pedant that keeps a school.
Every one of them kept house by himself.
Hold
Not to move; to halt; to stop.
Keep
To supply with necessaries of life; to entertain; as, to keep boarders.
Hold
(intransitive) Not to give way; not to part or become separated; to remain unbroken or unsubdued.
Keep
To have in one's service; to have and maintain, as an assistant, a servant, a mistress, a horse, etc.
I keep but three men and a boy.
Hold
To remain continent; to control an excretory bodily function.
To hold one's bladder;
To hold one's breath
Keep
To have habitually in stock for sale.
Hold
(heading) To maintain or keep to particular opinions, promises, actions.
Keep
To continue in, as a course or mode of action; not to intermit or fall from; to hold to; to maintain; as, to keep silence; to keep one's word; to keep possession.
Both day and night did we keep company.
Within this portal as I kept my watch.
Hold
(transitive) To maintain, to consider, to opine.
Keep
To observe; to adhere to; to fulfill; not to swerve from or violate; to practice or perform, as duty; not to neglect; to be faithful to.
I have kept the faith.
Him whom to love is to obey, and keepHis great command.
Hold
(transitive) To bind (someone) to a consequence of his or her actions.
He was held responsible for the actions of those under his command.
I'll hold him to that promise.
Keep
To confine one's self to; not to quit; to remain in; as, to keep one's house, room, bed, etc.; hence, to haunt; to frequent.
'Tis hallowed ground;Fairies, and fawns, and satyrs do it keep.
Hold
To maintain in being or action; to carry on; to prosecute, as a course of conduct or an argument; to continue; to sustain.
Keep
To observe duly, as a festival, etc.; to celebrate; to solemnize; as, to keep a feast.
I went with them to the house of God . . . with a multitude that kept holyday.
Hold
To accept, as an opinion; to be the adherent of, openly or privately; to persist in, as a purpose; to maintain; to sustain.
Keep
To remain in any position or state; to continue; to abide; to stay; as, to keep at a distance; to keep aloft; to keep near; to keep in the house; to keep before or behind; to keep in favor; to keep out of company, or out reach.
Hold
(archaic) To restrain oneself; to refrain; to hold back.
Keep
To last; to endure; to remain unimpaired.
If the malt be not thoroughly dried, the ale it makes will not keep.
Hold
To win one's own service game.
Keep
To reside for a time; to lodge; to dwell.
Knock at his study, where, they say, he keeps.
Hold
To take place, to occur.
Keep
To take care; to be solicitous; to watch.
Keep that the lusts choke not the word of God that is in us.
Hold
To organise an event or meeting (usually in passive voice).
Elections will be held on the first Sunday of next month.
Keep
To be in session; as, school keeps to-day.
Hold
(archaic) To derive right or title.
Keep
The act or office of keeping; custody; guard; care; heed; charge.
Pan, thou god of shepherds all,Which of our tender lambkins takest keep.
Hold
(imperative) In a food or drink order at an informal restaurant etc., requesting that a component normally included in that order be omitted.
One ham-and-cheese sandwich; hold the mustard.
A martini, please, and hold the olive.
Keep
The state of being kept; hence, the resulting condition; case; as, to be in good keep.
Hold
To be in possession of illicit drugs for sale.
Keep
The means or provisions by which one is kept; maintenance; support; as, the keep of a horse.
Grass equal to the keep of seven cows.
I performed some services to the college in return for my keep.
Hold
A grasp or grip.
Keep a firm hold on the handlebars.
Keep
That which keeps or protects; a stronghold; a fortress; a castle; specifically, the strongest and securest part of a castle, often used as a place of residence by the lord of the castle, especially during a siege; the dungeon. See Illust. of Castle.
The prison strong,Within whose keep the captive knights were laid.
The lower chambers of those gloomy keeps.
I think . . . the keep, or principal part of a castle, was so called because the lord and his domestic circle kept, abode, or lived there.
Hold
An act or instance of holding.
Can I have a hold of the baby?
Keep
That which is kept in charge; a charge.
Often he used of his keepA sacrifice to bring.
Hold
A place where animals are held for safety
Keep
A cap for retaining anything, as a journal box, in place.
Hold
An order that something is to be reserved or delayed, limiting or preventing how it can be dealt with.
Senator X placed a hold on the bill, then went to the library and placed a hold on a book.
Keep
The financial means whereby one lives;
Each child was expected to pay for their keep
He applied to the state for support
He could no longer earn his own livelihood
Hold
Something reserved or kept.
We have a hold here for you.
Keep
The main tower within the walls of a medieval castle or fortress
Hold
Power over someone or something.
Keep
A cell in a jail or prison
Hold
The ability to persist.
Keep
Keep in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g.,
Keep clean
Hold in place
She always held herself as a lady
The students keep me on my toes
Hold
The property of maintaining the shape of styled hair.
Keep
Continue a certain state, condition, or activity;
Keep on working!
We continued to work into the night
Keep smiling
We went on working until well past midnight
Hold
(wrestling) A position or grip used to control the opponent.
He got him in a tight hold and pinned him to the mat.
Keep
Retain possession of;
Can I keep my old stuffed animals?
She kept her maiden name after she married
Hold
(exercise) An exercise involving holding a position for a set time
Keep
Prevent from doing something or being in a certain state;
We must prevent the cancer from spreading
His snoring kept me from falling asleep
Keep the child from eating the marbles
Hold
(gambling) The percentage the house wins on a gamble, the house or bookmaker's hold.
The House Hold on the game is 10,000, this is the amount of decision or risk the house wishes to assume.
Keep
Conform one's action or practice to;
Keep appointments
She never keeps her promises
We kept to the original conditions of the contract
Hold
(gambling) The wager amount, the total hold.
As of Monday night the total Melbourne Cup hold was $848,015
Keep
Observe correctly or closely;
The pianist kept time with the metronome
Keep count
I cannot keep track of all my employees
Hold
(tennis) An instance of holding one's service game, as opposed to being broken.
Keep
Look after; be the keeper of; have charge of;
He keeps the shop when I am gone
Hold
The part of an object one is intended to grasp, or anything one can use for grasping with hands or feet.
Keep
Maintain by writing regular records;
Keep a diary
Maintain a record
Keep notes
Hold
A fruit machine feature allowing one or more of the reels to remain fixed while the others spin.
Keep
Supply with room and board;
He is keeping three women in the guest cottage
Keep boarders
Hold
A pause facility.
Keep
Allow to remain in a place or position;
We cannot continue several servants any longer
She retains a lawyer
The family's fortune waned and they could not keep their household staff
Our grant has run out and we cannot keep you on
We kept the work going as long as we could
Hold
The queueing system on telephones and similar communication systems which maintains a connection when all lines are busy.
Keep
Supply with necessities and support;
She alone sustained her family
The money will sustain our good cause
There's little to earn and many to keep
Hold
(baseball) A statistic awarded to a relief pitcher who is not still pitching at the end of the game and who records at least one out and maintains a lead for his team.
Keep
Fail to spoil or rot;
These potatoes keep for a long time
Hold
(aviation) A region of airspace reserved for aircraft being kept in a holding pattern.
Keep
Celebrate, as of holidays or rites;
Keep the commandments
Celebrate Christmas
Observe Yom Kippur
Hold
The cargo area of a ship or aircraft (often holds or cargo hold).
We watched our luggage being loaded into the hold of the plane.
Keep
Keep under control; keep in check;
Suppress a smile
Keep your temper
Keep your cool
Hold
(obsolete) Gracious; friendly; faithful; true.
Keep
Maintain in safety from injury, harm, or danger;
May God keep you
Hold
The whole interior portion of a vessel below the lower deck, in which the cargo is stowed.
Keep
Raise;
She keeps a few chickens in the yard
He keeps bees
Hold
The act of holding, as in or with the hands or arms; the manner of holding, whether firm or loose; seizure; grasp; clasp; grip; possession; - often used with the verbs take and lay.
Ne have I not twelve pence within mine hold.
Thou should'st lay hold upon him.
My soul took hold on thee.
Take fast hold of instruction.
Keep
Retain rights to;
Keep my job for me while I give birth
Keep my seat, please
Keep open the possibility of a merger
Hold
The authority or ground to take or keep; claim.
The law hath yet another hold on you.
Keep
Store or keep customarily;
Where do you keep your gardening tools?
Hold
Binding power and influence.
Fear . . . by which God and his laws take the surest hold of.
Keep
Have as a supply;
I always keep batteries in the freezer
Keep food for a week in the pantry
She keeps a sixpack and a week's worth of supplies in the refrigerator
Hold
Something that may be grasped; means of support.
If a man be upon an high place without rails or good hold, he is ready to fall.
Keep
Maintain for use and service;
I keep a car in the countryside
She keeps an apartment in Paris for her shopping trips
Hold
A place of confinement; a prison; confinement; custody; guard.
They . . . put them in hold unto the next day.
King Richard, he is in the mighty holdOf Bolingbroke.
Keep
Hold and prevent from leaving;
The student was kept after school
Hold
A place of security; a fortified place; a fort; a castle; - often called a stronghold.
New comers in an ancient hold
Keep
Prevent (food) from rotting;
Preserved meats
Keep potatoes fresh
Hold
A character [thus ] placed over or under a note or rest, and indicating that it is to be prolonged; - called also pause, and corona.
Hold
To cause to remain in a given situation, position, or relation, within certain limits, or the like; to prevent from falling or escaping; to sustain; to restrain; to keep in the grasp; to retain.
The loops held one curtain to another.
Thy right hand shall hold me.
They all hold swords, being expert in war.
In vain he seeks, that having can not hold.
France, thou mayst hold a serpent by the tongue, . . . A fasting tiger safer by the tooth,Than keep in peace that hand which thou dost hold.
Hold
To retain in one's keeping; to maintain possession of, or authority over; not to give up or relinquish; to keep; to defend.
We mean to hold what anciently we claimOf deity or empire.
Hold
To have; to possess; to be in possession of; to occupy; to derive title to; as, to hold office.
This noble merchant held a noble house.
Of him to hold his seigniory for a yearly tribute.
And now the strand, and now the plain, they held.
Hold
To maintain in being or action; to carry on; to prosecute, as a course of conduct or an argument; to continue; to sustain.
Hold not thy peace, and be not still.
Seedtime and harvest, heat and hoary frost,Shall hold their course.
Hold
To prosecute, have, take, or join in, as something which is the result of united action; as to, hold a meeting, a festival, a session, etc.; hence, to direct and bring about officially; to conduct or preside at; as, the general held a council of war; a judge holds a court; a clergyman holds a service.
I would hold more talk with thee.
Hold
To receive and retain; to contain as a vessel; as, this pail holds milk; hence, to be able to receive and retain; to have capacity or containing power for.
Broken cisterns that can hold no water.
One sees more devils than vast hell can hold.
Hold
To accept, as an opinion; to be the adherent of, openly or privately; to persist in, as a purpose; to maintain; to sustain.
Stand fast and hold the traditions which ye have been taught.
But still he held his purpose to depart.
Hold
To consider; to regard; to esteem; to account; to think; to judge.
I hold him but a fool.
I shall never hold that man my friend.
The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Hold
To bear, carry, or manage; as he holds himself erect; he holds his head high.
Let him hold his fingers thus.
O, fie! to receive favors, return falsehoods,And hold a lady in hand.
Hold
In general, to keep one's self in a given position or condition; to remain fixed. Hence:
Hold
Not to move; to halt; to stop; - mostly in the imperative.
And damned be him that first cries, "Hold, enough!"
Hold
Not to give way; not to part or become separated; to remain unbroken or unsubdued.
Our force by land hath nobly held.
Hold
Not to fail or be found wanting; to continue; to last; to endure a test or trial; to abide; to persist.
While our obedience holds.
The rule holds in land as all other commodities.
Hold
Not to fall away, desert, or prove recreant; to remain attached; to cleave; - often with with, to, or for.
He will hold to the one and despise the other.
Hold
To restrain one's self; to refrain.
His dauntless heart would fain have heldFrom weeping, but his eyes rebelled.
Hold
To derive right or title; - generally with of.
My crown is absolute, and holds of none.
His imagination holds immediately from nature.
Hold
The act of grasping;
He released his clasp on my arm
He has a strong grip for an old man
She kept a firm hold on the railing
Hold
Understanding of the nature or meaning or quality or magnitude of something;
He has a good grasp of accounting practices
Hold
Power by which something or someone is affected or dominated;
He has a hold over them
Hold
Time during which some action is awaited;
Instant replay caused too long a delay
He ordered a hold in the action
Hold
A state of being confined (usually for a short time);
His detention was politically motivated
The prisoner is on hold
He is in the custody of police
Hold
A stronghold
Hold
A cell in a jail or prison
Hold
The appendage to an object that is designed to be held in order to use or move it;
He grabbed the hammer by the handle
It was an old briefcase but it still had a good grip
Hold
The space in a ship or aircraft for storing cargo
Hold
Organize or be responsible for;
Hold a reception
Have, throw, or make a party
Give a course
Hold
Keep in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g.,
Keep clean
Hold in place
She always held herself as a lady
The students keep me on my toes
Hold
Have or hold in one's hands or grip;
Hold this bowl for a moment, please
A crazy idea took hold of him
Hold
To close within bounds, limit or hold back from movement;
This holds the local until the express passengers change trains
About a dozen animals were held inside the stockade
The illegal immigrants were held at a detention center
The terrorists held the journalists for ransom
Hold
Have rightfully; of rights, titles, and offices;
She bears the title of Duchess
He held the governorship for almost a decade
Hold
Have or possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense;
She has $1,000 in the bank
He has got two beautiful daughters
She holds a Master's degree from Harvard
Hold
Keep in mind or convey as a conviction or view;
Take for granted
View as important
Hold these truths to be self-evident
I hold him personally responsible
Hold
Contain or hold; have within;
The jar carries wine
The canteen holds fresh water
This can contains water
Hold
Lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits;
Moderate your alcohol intake
Hold your tongue
Hold your temper
Control your anger
Hold
Remain in a certain state, position, or condition;
The weather held
They held on the road and kept marching
Hold
Maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings);
Bear a grudge
Entertain interesting notions
Harbor a resentment
Hold
Assert or affirm;
Rousseau's philosophy holds that people are inherently good
Hold
Remain committed to;
I hold to these ideas
Hold
Secure and keep for possible future use or application;
The landlord retained the security deposit
I reserve the right to disagree
Hold
Be the physical support of; carry the weight of;
The beam holds up the roof
He supported me with one hand while I balanced on the beam
What's holding that mirror?
Hold
Hold the attention of;
The soprano held the audience
This story held our interest
She can hold an audience spellbound
Hold
Keep from exhaling or expelling;
Hold your breath
Hold
Support or hold in a certain manner;
She holds her head high
He carried himself upright
Hold
Have room for; hold without crowding;
This hotel can accommodate 250 guests
The theater admits 300 people
The auditorium can't hold more than 500 people
Hold
Be capable of holding or containing;
This box won't take all the items
The flask holds one gallon
Hold
Be valid, applicable, or true;
This theory still holds
Hold
Take and maintain control over, often by violent means;
The dissatisfied students held the President's office for almost a week
Hold
Protect against a challenge or attack;
Hold that position behind the trees!
Hold the bridge against the enemy's attacks
Hold
Declare to be;
She was declared incompetent
Judge held that the defendant was innocent
Hold
Have as a major characteristic;
The novel holds many surprises
The book holds in store much valuable advise
Hold
Cause to stop;
Halt the engines
Arrest the progress
Halt the presses
Hold
Bind by an obligation; cause to be indebted;
He's held by a contract
I'll hold you by your promise
Hold
Cover as for protection against noise or smell;
She held her ears when the jackhammer started to operate
Hold one's nose
Hold
Drink alcohol without showing ill effects;
He can hold his liquor
He had drunk more than he could carry
Hold
Be pertinent or relevant or applicable;
The same laws apply to you!
This theory holds for all irrational numbers
The same rules go for everyone
Hold
Arrange for and reserve (something for someone else) in advance;
Reserve me a seat on a flight
The agent booked tickets to the show for the whole family
Please hold a table at Maxim's
Hold
Resist or confront with resistance;
The politician defied public opinion
The new material withstands even the greatest wear and tear
The bridge held
Hold
Keep from departing;
Hold the taxi
Hold the horse
Hold
Stop dealing with;
Hold all calls to the President's office while he is in a meeting
Hold
Aim, point, or direct;
Hold the fire extinguisher directly on the flames
Hold
Be in accord; be in agreement;
We agreed on the terms of the settlement
I can't agree with you!
I hold with those who say life is sacred
Both philosophers concord on this point
Common Curiosities
What is the main difference between keep and hold?
Keep emphasizes maintaining possession or a condition over time, while hold focuses on the physical act of grasping or containing something temporarily.
How do keep and hold differ in terms of responsibility?
Keep often implies a longer-term responsibility or commitment to maintain a condition or adhere to a promise, whereas hold can imply a short-term responsibility focused on physical control or support.
Is keep more about emotional or physical possession?
Keep can refer to both emotional and physical possession but often extends to maintaining conditions, states, or adherence to commitments beyond mere physical possession.
Can keep and hold be used interchangeably?
While they have overlapping meanings in contexts related to possession and control, their usage often depends on whether the focus is on the duration and maintenance of a state (keep) or immediate physical control (hold).
Can you give an example where keep and hold are used similarly?
"Keep the fort" and "hold the fort" are used similarly to mean maintaining control or oversight, demonstrating their interchangeable use in specific contexts.
What does it mean to keep someone close?
To keep someone close means to maintain a close relationship or emotional bond with that person over time.
Does hold imply a temporary action?
Yes, hold generally implies a temporary action or state, focusing on immediate physical control, capacity, or support.
How does the use of keep in technology differ from hold?
In technology, keep might refer to maintaining settings or data (e.g., keep preferences), while hold might be used for temporarily stopping processes or retaining data in memory.
What does holding a position mean?
Holding a position can mean physically staying in a place, such as in a queue, or metaphorically maintaining a role or job.
Is it more appropriate to use keep or hold when referring to feelings?
Keep is more appropriate for emotions or feelings, as it implies maintaining or harboring them over time (e.g., keeping a grudge), whereas hold is used for physical actions.
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Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
