hole
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.an opening that goes all the way through something, like a gap in a fence or a tear in clothes.
n.a perforation or aperture that passes entirely through a solid body or fabric.
Simple“I have a small hole in my sock where my toe sticks out.”
In context“The tailor noticed a tiny hole in the vintage silk jacket that would require delicate invisible mending to repair.”
- 02 A2 Elementary
n.a hollow place or a space dug into the ground.
n.a cavity, depression, or excavation in a surface or solid mass.
Simple“The dog dug a deep hole in the garden to hide its bone.”
In context“Archaeologists carefully cleared the sediment from the hole, revealing a cache of Bronze Age pottery fragments.”
- 03 A2 Elementary
n.the small opening in the ground that you try to hit a ball into, especially in golf.
n.a small pit into which a ball is played in various games, particularly golf.
Simple“He managed to hit the ball into the final hole in just three strokes.”
In context“The golfer studied the slope of the green carefully before attempting to putt the ball into the tenth hole.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a mistake or a missing part in an argument, story, or plan.
n.a flaw, gap, or inconsistency in an argument, theory, or legal document.
Simple“There are several holes in his story that make me think he is lying.”
In context“The defence attorney exploited several logical holes in the prosecution's timeline of events during the cross-examination.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a place that is very dirty, small, or unpleasant to live in.
n.a small, dingy, or wretched place of residence or business.
Simple“I can't believe he pays so much rent for that tiny hole in the city.”
In context“After years of living in a damp hole of an apartment, she finally saved enough to move to a modern studio.”
Synonymsdumphovel - 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a difficult situation, especially when you owe a lot of money.
n.a state of difficulty or embarrassment, specifically regarding debt or financial deficit.
Simple“He got himself into a financial hole by spending too much on credit cards.”
In context“The company found itself in a deep financial hole after the primary investor withdrew support without warning.”
- 07 C1 Advanced
n.a weakness in a computer program that allows hackers to get in.
n.a security vulnerability in software that can be exploited to gain unauthorised access.
Simple“The company released a patch to fix a security hole in their browser.”
In context“Cybersecurity experts identified a critical hole in the encryption protocol that could expose sensitive user data to third parties.”
Synonyms - 08 C2 Proficiency
n.a space where an electron is missing that acts like a positive charge.
n.the absence of an electron in an atom or crystal lattice, treated mathematically as a positively charged particle.
Simple“In semiconductors, electricity can flow through the movement of holes.”
In context“The researcher explained how the recombination of electrons and holes within the material generates light in the LED.”
Antonyms - 09 C1 Advanced
n.a small prison cell where a prisoner is kept alone as a punishment.
n.a high-security cell used for solitary confinement within a correctional facility.
Simple“The prisoner was sent to the hole for three days after the fight.”
In context“Human rights advocates argued that spending extended periods in the hole causes significant psychological trauma to inmates.”
Synonyms - 10 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to make a hole in something, often by hitting it.
v.to pierce or puncture a surface or object, often resulting in damage or destruction.
Simple“The ship was holed by a large rock and started to sink.”
In context“The heavy artillery fire holed the defensive walls in several places, allowing the infantry to advance into the city.”
- 11 B1 Intermediate
v.to hit a ball into a hole in a game like golf.
v.to drive or hit a ball into a hole, typically in golf or billiards.
Simple“She holed the final putt to win the tournament.”
In context“The professional golfer holed a spectacular thirty-foot putt on the eighteenth green to secure his lead.”
Usage hole stars · hole at its center · hole star
Various origins: English topographic surname for someone who lived by a depression, from Old English holh (“hole”), from Proto-West Germanic hulwī, from Proto-Germanic *hulwiją. * Borrowed from Norwegian Hole, a habitational surname from Old Norse hóll (“round hill, mound”). * Shortened form of Dutch van Hole, a habitational surname from hol (“hole, depression, cavity”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.