hold on vs persist

hold on and persist both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
hold on	No	No	Yes	No
persist	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, hold on and persist are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of hold on include hang in, hang on, persevere.

hold on (verb)	persist (verb)
be persistent, refuse to stop	be persistent, refuse to stop
stop and wait, as if awaiting further instructions or developments	be in a certain place and not leave
hold the phone line open	continue to exist
hold firmly
retain possession of