hug
hug Lexical Profile
hug Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An act of holding someone tightly in one's arms, typically to express affection, warmth, or comfort.
"She greeted her grandmother at the door with a warm hug."
A tight grip around an opponent's body in wrestling.
"The wrestler trapped his challenger in a powerful bear hug."
• verb
To squeeze someone tightly in one's arms, typically to express affection or comfort.
"The children ran across the yard to hug their parents after school."
To keep very close to something as one moves or travels alongside it.
"The small fishing boat had to hug the coastline to avoid the rough open seas."
To fit tightly around the contours of the body (of a garment).
"The tailored wool coat was designed to hug the shoulders neatly."
To cherish or cling firmly to a belief, feeling, or idea in the mind.
"Despite the mounting counterevidence, he continued to hug the illusion that the project would succeed on schedule."
• Rhymes for hug
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the mid-16th century, probably of Scandinavian origin and related to Old Norse hugga, meaning 'to comfort' or 'to console'.