hug
huhg
Hug (verb) means to wrap your arms around someone and hold them close, usually to show affection or comfort. Example: “The toddler ran over and hugged her grandfather's leg.”
verb
1
To wrap your arms around someone and hold them close, usually to show affection or comfort.
"The toddler ran over and hugged her grandfather's leg."
"She hugged her friend tightly at the airport."
"He hugged his son before leaving for the trip."
2
To stay very close to something, such as a road or coastline.
"The cyclists hugged the kerb to let the lorry pass."
"The trail hugs the edge of the cliff for miles."
"The car hugged the curves of the mountain road."
noun
1
An act of embracing someone with your arms.
"I could really use a big hug after such a long day."
"She gave him a warm hug before saying goodbye."
"A quick hug was all the comfort he needed."
How to use hug
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishPutting your arms around someone (or something staying close to something else, like a road hugging a coastline).
Common pairings
give someone a hug
a big hug
hug the coast
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Word forms
- Plural
- hugs
- Third person singular
- hugs
- Past tense
- hugged
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The trail _____ the edge of the cliff for miles.
Etymology
From an older English word meaning "to embrace," likely blending a word for crouching close with an Old Norse word meaning "to comfort" — ultimately tied to a root meaning "mind" or "thought."
Related words
Rhymes for hug
See all rhymes for hug →Frequently asked questions
What does “hug” mean?
The word “hug” means to wrap your arms around someone and hold them close, usually to show affection or comfort. In plain terms, putting your arms around someone (or something staying close to something else, like a road hugging a coastline).
How do you pronounce “hug”?
“Hug” is pronounced huhg (/hʌɡ/ in IPA).
How do you use “hug” in a sentence?
Here is “hug” used in a sentence: “She hugged her friend tightly at the airport.”
What is another word for “hug”?
Words with a similar meaning to “hug” include stick, coll and embrace.
What part of speech is “hug”?
Depending on how it is used, “hug” can be a verb and a noun.
Where does the word “hug” come from?
The word “hug” comes from Old Norse. From an older English word meaning "to embrace," likely blending a word for crouching close with an Old Norse word meaning "to comfort" — ultimately tied to a root meaning "mind" or "thought.".
Is “hug” a common word?
“Hug” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “hug” have?
“Hug” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to wrap your arms around someone and hold them close, usually to show affection or comfort.
What is the difference between a hug and an embrace?
A hug and an embrace both involve wrapping your arms around someone, but embrace is the more formal, literary word, while hug is the everyday term. Embrace also has broader figurative uses, such as embracing an idea. In casual speech, hug is almost always the natural choice.
Is the past tense of hug 'hugged' or 'huged'?
The past tense is hugged, with a double g, and the -ing form is hugging. Hug doubles its final consonant because it is a short verb ending in a single vowel plus a single consonant, following the same spelling rule as stop/stopped and plan/planned.
Do you say 'give a hug' or 'make a hug'?
The natural collocation is 'give someone a hug' — English speakers do not say 'make a hug'. Other common patterns include 'get a hug', 'need a hug', and 'a big, warm, or tight hug'.
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