fair / favorable
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fair / graceful
An increasingly archaic, poetic expression for graceful, lovely, or charming. It describes a beauty that is delicate and enchanting.
Im Märchen wird die Prinzessin oft als holde Jungfrau beschrieben.
In fairy tales, the princess is often described as a fair maiden.
'Hold' (fair/graceful) is an archaic and poetic word. You find it almost exclusively in fairy tales, poems, or old texts. It is not used in modern everyday language.
Der Dichter beschrieb die Landschaft als hold und lieblich.
The poet described the landscape as fair and lovely.
In its poetic meaning of 'anmutig' (graceful) or 'lieblich' (lovely), 'hold' is usually connected with feminine nouns or positive impressions. Typical examples are 'holde Maid' (fair maiden), 'holdes Lächeln' (lovely smile), or 'holde Gestalt' (graceful figure).
Der Prinz verliebte sich sofort in die holde Maid.
The prince immediately fell in love with the fair maiden.
The expression 'jemandem hold sein' means that fate or a higher power is favorably disposed toward a person. The person who has the luck is always in the dative.
Das Glück war ihm bei der Prüfung nicht hold.
Luck was not favorable to him in the exam.
ugly
'hässlich' and 'hold' are opposites in the area of appearance and effect. 'hässlich' is a normal everyday word for something that does not look beautiful. 'hold' means lovely, delicate, or charming, but today it sounds old-fashioned or poetic. For that reason, 'hold' is hardly used in normal conversations, but rather in literature, songs, or deliberately elevated language. So the contrast is clear, but the words do not belong to the same style: 'hässlich' is everyday, while 'hold' feels poetic.
Im Gedicht beschreibt der Dichter eine holde Gestalt am Fenster.
In the poem, the poet describes a fair figure at the window.
Nach dem Sturm sah der Garten hässlich und kaputt aus.
After the storm, the garden looked ugly and ruined.