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Whole vs. Hole — What's the Difference?

Whole is complete, unbroken. Hole is an opening or cavity. The word "whole" denotes completeness or entirety, suggesting that nothing is missing. In contrast, "hole" refers to a gap, opening, or void, indicating the absence of material or space.
Whole vs. Hole — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Whole and Hole

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Key Differences

"Whole" often conveys a sense of totality, used to describe something that's intact or undivided. "Hole," however, implies a space or opening that's been removed from a larger structure, often creating a void.
In usage, "whole" might describe the unbroken state of an object, or refer to something in its entirety. "Hole" usually signifies a puncture, opening, or cavity within something, indicating that part of it is missing.
Grammatically, "whole" is used as an adjective or a noun, often in contexts that emphasize completeness. "Hole," typically a noun, refers to an empty space or opening, sometimes caused by damage or wear.
"Whole" can also imply health or well-being, as in "whole foods" or "whole-body wellness." "Hole" lacks this connotation and is often used in more literal or physical contexts, such as in geology or construction.

Comparison Chart

Part of Speech

Mostly an adjective or noun
Primarily a noun
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Meaning

Complete, undamaged
An opening or gap

Usage

Describes completeness
Indicates absence or void

Context

Often used in health, integrity
Common in physical structures

Connotation

Positive, as in health or integrity
Neutral or negative, as in lack or absence

Compare with Definitions

Whole

An opening through something
He drilled a hole in the wall.

Hole

A cavity or depression
A hole formed in the ground after the rain.

Whole

A flaw or defect
There's a hole in his argument.

Hole

A flaw or defect
There's a hole in his argument.

Whole

A cavity or depression
A hole formed in the ground after the rain.

Hole

In golf, the target area
He scored a birdie on the ninth hole.

Whole

In golf, the target area
He scored a birdie on the ninth hole.

Hole

A hollowed place in something solid; a cavity or pit
Dug a hole in the ground with a shovel.

Whole

Containing all components; complete
The whole series of novels.

Hole

An opening or perforation
A hole in the clouds.
Had a hole in the elbow of my sweater.

Whole

Not divided or disjoined; in one unit
A whole loaf.

Hole

(Sports) An opening in a defensive formation, such as the area of a baseball infield between two adjacent fielders.

Whole

Constituting the full amount, extent, or duration
The baby cried the whole trip home.

Hole

A fault or flaw
There are holes in your argument.

Whole

Not wounded, injured, or impaired; sound or unhurt
Many escaped the fire frightened but whole.

Hole

A deep place in a body of water.

Whole

Having been restored; healed
After the treatment he felt whole.

Hole

An animal's hollowed-out habitation, such as a burrow.

Whole

Having the same parents
A whole sister.

Hole

An ugly, squalid, or depressing dwelling.

Whole

A number, group, set, or thing lacking no part or element; a complete thing.

Hole

A deep or isolated place of confinement; a dungeon.

Whole

An entity or system made up of interrelated parts
The value of the whole was greater than the sum of its parts.

Hole

An awkward situation; a predicament.

Whole

Entirely; wholly
A whole new idea.

Hole

The small pit lined with a cup into which a golf ball must be hit.

Whole

Entire, undivided.
I ate a whole fish.

Hole

One of the divisions of a golf course, from tee to cup.

Whole

Used as an intensifier.
I brought a whole lot of balloons for the party.
She ate a whole bunch of french fries.

Hole

(Physics) A vacant position in an atom left by the absence of a valence electron, especially a position in a semiconductor that acts as a carrier of positive electric charge. Also called electron hole.

Whole

Sound, uninjured, healthy.
He is of whole mind, but the same cannot be said about his physical state.

Hole

To put a hole in.

Whole

(of food) From which none of its constituents has been removed.
Whole wheat; whole milk

Hole

To put or propel into a hole.

Whole

(mining) As yet unworked.

Hole

To make a hole in something.

Whole

(colloquial) In entirety; entirely; wholly.
I ate a fish whole!

Hole

A hollow place or cavity; an excavation; a pit; a dent; a depression; a fissure.
I made a blind hole in the wall for a peg.
I dug a hole and planted a tree in it.

Whole

Something complete, without any parts missing.
This variety of fascinating details didn't fall together into an enjoyable, coherent whole.

Hole

An opening that goes all the way through a solid body, a fabric, etc.; a perforation; a rent.
There’s a hole in my shoe.
Her stocking has a hole in it.

Whole

An entirety.

Hole

(heading) In games.

Whole

Containing the total amount, number, etc.; comprising all the parts; free from deficiency; all; total; entire; as, the whole earth; the whole solar system; the whole army; the whole nation.
The whole race of mankind.

Hole

(golf) A subsurface standard-size hole, also called cup, hitting the ball into which is the object of play. Each hole, of which there are usually eighteen as the standard on a full course, is located on a prepared surface, called the green, of a particular type grass.

Whole

Complete; entire; not defective or imperfect; not broken or fractured; unimpaired; uninjured; integral; as, a whole orange; the egg is whole; the vessel is whole.
My life is yet whole in me.

Hole

(golf) The part of a game in which a player attempts to hit the ball into one of the holes.
I played 18 holes yesterday.
The second hole today cost me three strokes over par.

Whole

Possessing, or being in a state of, heath and soundness; healthy; sound; well.
[She] findeth there her friends hole and sound.
They that be whole need not a physician.
When Sir Lancelot's deadly hurt was whole.
All the whole army stood agazed on him.
One entire and perfect chrysolite.
Lest total darkness should by night regainHer old possession, and extinguish life.
So absolute she seems,And in herself complete.

Hole

(baseball) The rear portion of the defensive team between the shortstop and the third baseman.
The shortstop ranged deep into the hole to make the stop.

Whole

The entire thing; the entire assemblage of parts; totality; all of a thing, without defect or exception; a thing complete in itself.
"This not the whole of life to live,Nor all of death to die.

Hole

(chess) A square on the board, with some positional significance, that a player does not, and cannot in future, control with a friendly pawn.

Whole

A regular combination of parts; a system.
Parts answering parts shall slide into a whole.

Hole

(stud poker) A card (also called a hole card) dealt face down thus unknown to all but its holder; the status in which such a card is.

Whole

All of something including all its component elements or parts;
Europe considered as a whole
The whole of American literature

Hole

In the game of fives, part of the floor of the court between the step and the pepperbox.

Whole

An assemblage of parts that is regarded as a single entity;
How big is that part compared to the whole?
The team is a unit

Hole

An excavation pit or trench.

Whole

Including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete;
Gave his whole attention
A whole wardrobe for the tropics
The whole hog
A whole week
The baby cried the whole trip home
A whole loaf of bread

Hole

(figuratively) A weakness; a flaw or ambiguity.
I have found a hole in your argument.

Whole

(of siblings) having the same parents;
Whole brothers and sisters

Hole

(informal) A container or receptacle.
Car hole;
Brain hole

Whole

Exhibiting or restored to vigorous good health;
Hale and hearty
Whole in mind and body
A whole person again

Hole

(physics) In semiconductors, a lack of an electron in an occupied band behaving like a positively charged particle.

Whole

To a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (`whole' is often used informally for `wholly');
He was wholly convinced
Entirely satisfied with the meal
It was completely different from what we expected
Was completely at fault
A totally new situation
The directions were all wrong
It was not altogether her fault
An altogether new approach
A whole new idea

Hole

(computing) A security vulnerability in software which can be taken advantage of by an exploit.

Whole

A difficult situation
She found herself in a financial hole.

Hole

An orifice, in particular the anus. When used with shut it always refers to the mouth.
Just shut your hole!

Hole

Sex, or a sex partner.
Are you going out to get your hole tonight?

Hole

Solitary confinement, a high-security prison cell often used as punishment.

Hole

(slang) An undesirable place to live or visit.
His apartment is a hole!

Hole

(figurative) Difficulty, in particular, debt.
If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.

Hole

(graph theory) A chordless cycle in a graph.

Hole

A passing loop; a siding provided for trains traveling in opposite directions on a single-track line to pass each other.
We’re supposed to take the hole at Cronk and wait for the Limited to pass.

Hole

(transitive) To make holes in (an object or surface).
Shrapnel holed the ship's hull.

Hole

To destroy.
She completely holed the argument.

Hole

(intransitive) To go into a hole.

Hole

(transitive) To drive into a hole, as an animal, or a billiard ball or golf ball.
Woods holed a standard three foot putt

Hole

(transitive) To cut, dig, or bore a hole or holes in.
To hole a post for the insertion of rails or bars

Hole

Whole.

Hole

A hollow place or cavity; an excavation; a pit; an opening in or through a solid body, a fabric, etc.; a perforation; a rent; a fissure.
The holes where eyes should be.
The blind wallsWere full of chinks and holes.
The priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid.

Hole

An excavation in the ground, made by an animal to live in, or a natural cavity inhabited by an animal; hence, a low, narrow, or dark lodging or place; a mean habitation.
The foxes have holes, . . . but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

Hole

A small cavity used in some games, usually one into which a marble or ball is to be played or driven; hence, a score made by playing a marble or ball into such a hole, as in golf.

Hole

To cut, dig, or bore a hole or holes in; as, to hole a post for the insertion of rails or bars.

Hole

To drive into a hole, as an animal, or a billiard ball.

Hole

To go or get into a hole.

Hole

An opening into or through something

Hole

An opening deliberately made in or through something

Hole

One playing period (from tee to green) on a golf course;
He played 18 holes

Hole

An unoccupied space

Hole

A depression hollowed out of solid matter

Hole

A fault;
He shot holes in my argument

Hole

Informal terms for a difficult situation;
He got into a terrible fix
He made a muddle of his marriage

Hole

Informal terms for the mouth

Hole

Hit the ball into the hole

Hole

Make holes in

Hole

An opening through something
He drilled a hole in the wall.

Hole

A difficult situation
She found herself in a financial hole.

Common Curiosities

Are there idioms using "whole"?

Yes, such as "the whole nine yards" meaning everything or all of it.

Is "whole" ever used as a verb?

No, "whole" is typically used as an adjective or noun, not a verb.

Can "hole" be pluralized?

Yes, the plural form is "holes."

Are there idioms using "hole"?

Yes, for example, "hole in the wall" often refers to a small, unpretentious place.

Is "whole" related to health?

Yes, it's often used in contexts like "whole foods" or "whole-body wellness."

Does "whole" have synonyms?

Yes, such as entire, complete, or intact.

Can "hole" be used in sports?

Yes, especially in golf where it refers to the target area.

Does "whole" imply something positive?

Generally, yes. It often has a positive connotation of completeness.

Can "hole" refer to a situation?

Yes, it can denote a difficult or unpleasant situation, as in "dig oneself into a hole."

Does "hole" have synonyms?

Yes, synonyms include opening, gap, or cavity.

Can "whole" be used in mathematics?

Yes, as in "whole numbers," referring to non-fractional numbers.

Are "whole" and "hole" homophones?

Yes, they sound the same but have different meanings and spellings.

Can "whole" indicate physical health?

Yes, it can imply being uninjured or undamaged.

Can "hole" imply something missing?

Yes, it often indicates the absence of material or space.

Can "hole" have a negative connotation?

Sometimes, particularly when it refers to deficits or problems.

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