Definitions
- Referring to the act of grasping or gripping something with one's hands. - Describing the action of keeping something in one's possession or control. - Talking about the state of having a particular opinion, belief, or attitude towards something.
- Describing the state of owning or having something. - Referring to the act of having a particular quality, characteristic, or skill. - Talking about the state of being under the influence of a feeling or emotion.
List of Similarities
- 1Both words describe the state of having something.
- 2Both words can be used to talk about ownership or control.
- 3Both words can be used figuratively to describe a state of mind or emotion.
What is the difference?
- 1Usage: Hold is more commonly used in everyday language, while possess is more formal and less common.
- 2Action vs. State: Hold emphasizes the action of keeping something, while possess emphasizes the state of having something.
- 3Ownership vs. Quality: Hold is more commonly used to talk about ownership or control, while possess is more commonly used to talk about qualities, characteristics, or skills.
- 4Connotation: Hold can have neutral or positive connotations, while possess can have negative connotations when used to describe a state of being under the influence of a negative emotion or feeling.
Remember this!
Hold and possess are synonyms that describe the state of having something. However, hold emphasizes the action of keeping something, while possess emphasizes the state of having something. Hold is more commonly used in everyday language and is associated with ownership or control, while possess is more formal and is associated with qualities, characteristics, or skills.
