chug

¹ American  

[chuhg] / tʃʌg /

noun

1. a short, dull, explosive sound.

   the steady chug of an engine.

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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.

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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

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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

All three major U.S. stock indexes ended last week at fresh highs and are continuing to chug along this year.

From Barron's ● May 31, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026

WSJ | Buy Side: The Owala FreeSip water bottle has it all: a unique top that lets you sip or chug, stainless steel to keep water cold all day and special color offerings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 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

Those of us waiting moved out of the lee of the building to watch the ferry chug in.

From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson

Influencers in cowboy hats chugged cartons of milk.

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

Massie even chugged a celebratory glass of raw milk.

From Slate ● May 20, 2026

“Let Me Roll It” had a funky swagger, while “Getting Better” chugged with cheerful insistence; “I’ve Just Seen a Face” showed off the group’s crisp harmonies and “Lady Madonna” its tight rhythmic interplay.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 28, 2026

At one point on Thursday the train chugged past a queue of trucks waiting for fuel -- the trains themselves run on diesel, with the state railway company maintaining its own stocks.

From Barron's ● Mar. 27, 2026

As our train chugged along through Indiana and across Ohio, the sunshine smiling down upon us, I couldn’t stop the butterflies from batting around in my stomach.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Growth statistics continue to point to an economy that’s chugging along as the data-center boom offsets slowing activity in the housing market and elsewhere.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

As Banderas plays him, he’s a bearish marvel of a man with the kind of earthy soul that would have had Ernest Hemingway chugging salty dogs on his barstool all night.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

“Now I can look forward to ruining my sleep schedule, chugging iced Americanos, and screaming at the TV at 3 a.m. for a country I don’t live in while our national team sleeps peacefully.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026

Barron’s in January outlined a road map for how to fix the struggling stock, recommending that the new CEO should focus on accelerating streaming growth and keeping the company’s successful experiences division chugging along.

From Barron's ● Apr. 9, 2026

The brown cupboard standing with its screen doors open, the baby cot swinging like a pendulum, the Singer sewing machine pedal chugging up and down, pieces of cloth spread out on the tile floor.

From "Tasting the Sky" by Ibtisam Barakat