English Explanatory Dictionary

hug

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A close embrace, especially when charged with an emotion such as affection, joy, relief, lust, anger, aggression, compassion, and the like, as opposed to being characterized by formality, equivocation or ambivalence (a half-embrace or "little hug").
  2. A particular grip in wrestling.
verb
  1. To crouch; to huddle as with cold.
  2. To cling closely together.
  3. To embrace by holding closely, especially in the arms.
  4. To stay close to.
  5. To hold fast; to cling to; to cherish.

Pronunciation

hŭg /hʌɡ/ en-us-hug.ogg

Word forms

hug hugs hugging hugged

Etymology

From earlier hugge (“to embrace, clasp with the arms”) (1560), probably representing a conflation of huck (“to crouch, huddle down”) and Old Norse hugga (“to comfort, console”), from hugr (“mind, heart, thought”), from Proto-Germanic *hugiz (“mind, thought, sense”), cognate with Icelandic hugga (“to comfort”), Old English hyġe (“thought”) (whence high (Etymology 2)).

Synonyms

stick coll embrace hunker squat stoop cleave accoll treasure

Related words

cuddle huggle kiss snuggle squeeze

Derived words

bear hug bro hug bro-hug bunny-hug bunny hug cyberhug e-hug hugaholic hug box hugbox hug-box hug button hugfest hugless hug machine hug of death hugsome man hug manhug pouncehug semihug side hug brohug huggle huggy body-hugging figure-hugging hug-a-hoodie huggable huggee hugger huggingly hug it out hug-me-tight hug oneself overhug unhug unhugged
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