apply and hold share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. apply means “put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose”. hold means “cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., `keep clean'”. hold is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/əˈplaɪ/
1.v.put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose
“use your head!”
2.v.be pertinent or relevant or applicable
“The same laws apply to you!”
3.v.ask (for something)
“He applied for a leave of absence”
| apply | hold | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /əˈplaɪ/ | /ˈhoʊld/ |
| Said | uh-PLAHY | hohld |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 5 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | verb | verb, noun |
| Senses | 10 | 45 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | use, utilize, utilise | keep, maintain |
Full entry for apply · Full entry for hold · More comparisons
/ˈhoʊld/
1.v.cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., `keep clean'
“hold in place”
2.v.have or hold in one's hands or grip
“Hold this bowl for a moment, please”
3.v.organize or be responsible for
“hold a reception”