# hold

> English word · Verb · IPA /həʊld/ · frequency rank #655

## Definitions
1. To grasp or grip.
2. To contain or store.
3. To maintain or keep to a position or state.
4. To maintain or keep to a position or state.
5. To maintain or keep to a position or state.
6. To maintain or keep to a position or state.
7. To maintain or keep to a position or state.
8. To maintain or keep to a position or state.
9. To maintain or keep to a position or state.
10. To maintain or keep to a position or state.
11. To maintain or keep to a position or state.
12. To maintain or keep to a position or state.
13. To maintain or keep to a position or state.
14. To maintain or keep to particular opinions, promises, actions.
15. To maintain or keep to particular opinions, promises, actions.
16. To maintain or keep to particular opinions, promises, actions.
17. To maintain or keep to particular opinions, promises, actions.
18. To maintain or keep to particular opinions, promises, actions.
19. To win one's own service game.
20. To take place, to occur.
21. To organise an event or meeting (usually in passive voice).
22. To derive right or title.
23. In a food or drink order at an informal restaurant etc., requesting that a component normally included in that order be omitted.
24. To be in possession of illicit drugs for sale.

## Etymology
Derived from Middle English holden, derived from Old English healdan, derived from Proto-West Germanic *haldan, derived from Proto-Germanic *haldaną (“to tend, herd”), maybe derived from Proto-Indo-European *kel- (“to drive”). Doublet of halt.
Cognates
*West Frisian hâlde
*Low German holden, holen
*Dutch houden
*German halten
*Danish
*Norwegian Bokmål holde
*Norwegian Nynorsk halda.
Compare Latin celer (“quick”), Tocharian B käl- (“to goad, drive”), Ancient Greek κέλλω (kéllō, “to drive”), Sanskrit कलयति (kalayati, “to impel”).

## Easily confused with
- **how** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hold-vs-how)
- **hot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hold-vs-hot)
- **hop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hold-vs-hop)
- **hon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hold-vs-hon)
- **hoo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hold-vs-hoo)
- **HUD** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hold-vs-hud)
- **Hou** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hold-vs-hou)
- **hoy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hold-vs-hoy)
- **hos** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hold-vs-hos)
- **Hom** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hold-vs-hom)
- **hor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hold-vs-hor)
- **HOV** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hold-vs-hov)
- **home** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hold-vs-home)
- **hope** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hold-vs-hope)
- **hour** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hold-vs-hour)
- **holy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hold-vs-holy)
- **host** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hold-vs-host)
- **hole** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hold-vs-hole)
- **hong** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hold-vs-hong)
- **hook** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hold-vs-hook)

## Common misspellings (6)
`hhold`, `hlod`, `hodl`, `holdd`, `holld`, `ohld`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/hold