chug

¹ American  

[chuhg] / tʃʌg /

noun

1. a short, dull, explosive sound.

   the steady chug of an engine.

---

verb (used without object)

chugged, chugging

1. to make this sound.

   The motor chugged.

2. to move while making this sound.

   The train chugged along.

chug ² American  

[chuhg] / tʃʌg /

verb (used with or without object)

chugged, chugging

1. Also to swallow (a drink) in large gulps or without interruption.

   He noisily chugged the entire bottle of water, then slammed it onto the table.

   She was just sitting on the bench, chugging away on a bottle of soda.

---

noun

1. a large gulp or swallow.

   He finished his beer in two chugs.

chug British  

/ tʃʌɡ /

noun

1. a short dull sound, esp one that is rapidly repeated, such as that made by an engine

---

verb

1. (intr) (of an engine, etc) to operate while making such sounds

Other Word Forms

• chugger
  noun

Etymology

Origin of chug¹

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70; imitative

Origin of chug²

First recorded in 1955–60, as chug down; of imitative origin

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chug chugged chugging

So far, the broader market has continued to chug higher.

From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor left Windsor not with a regal fanfare, but with the chug of removal lorries, heading for Norfolk in the night.

From BBC ● Feb. 4, 2026

Meanwhile, SSE continues to chug forward amid mixed weather conditions and consistent profit expectations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026

But an array of other indicators show the economy continuing to chug along, albeit with the labor market in its low-hire, low-fire mode.

From Barron's ● Nov. 22, 2025

“You mean, besides the fact that my plane crashed on a hostile island, we haven’t eaten in days, you want me to chug a bug, and you keep calling me New Hampshire?”

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray

Massie even chugged a celebratory glass of raw milk.

From Slate ● May 20, 2026

The Welsh region had taken a surprise lead through tries from Ryan Elias and Archie Hughes but once the Saints juggernaut chugged into gear, they seemed to be running away with it.

From Barron's ● Jan. 18, 2026

The investment bank and financial-services firm chugged along for years without much notice, specializing in bond trading and deals in risky corners of the finance world that competitors avoided.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 26, 2025

I chugged cups of instant black coffee like water, not paying much heed to the bitter, pungent aftertaste that lingered on my tongue and scorched my throat.

From Salon ● Nov. 6, 2025

The motor boat chugged on and out of sight in the rain.

From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway

The forecast for this year requires Wall Street to keep chugging along.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

U.S. stocks have kept chugging higher this year, but bonds haven’t been able to shake off a five-year slump.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026

Let’s hear it for lighter debt burdens: They may be one reason the economy and stock market are still chugging along.

From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026

That began with the shocked roar that met Rush’s first number, 1977’s “Xanadu,” a chugging slab of custom-van-tested shag splendor, akin to kicking off a trick show with the most dangerous stunt.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026

No matter the season, the dairy farm kept chugging along.

From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown