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

The boilerplate praise chug of the song has one upside: It forces the “Rap God” to slow down.

From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2026

Raise your pretend glasses, Kyle Juszczyk and Jake Ferguson, and chug the imaginary beverages of your choice.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

When you feel groggy, it's tempting to chug multiple coffees or fizzy drinks.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

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

I swallow and blink, and pop a lozenge, uncapping my water bottle and spilling half the contents down my shirt in a hasty chug.

From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle

A generator chugged loudly outside, supplying electricity after the power had been cut off.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

Massie even chugged a celebratory glass of raw milk.

From Slate ● May 20, 2026

He rose precisely at 5 a.m. for a long workout, chugged the same protein shake afterward, took a shower at 7 a.m. on the dot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025

That was the case in the final moments of a sluggish overtime, during which Taylor chugged through a tired Falcons defense.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2025

It was overcast as the 9:22 chugged into the depot.

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool

But for stock investors, the current level of inflation isn’t terrible and isn’t stopping the economy from chugging along, Zaccarelli says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Meanwhile, Cardi’s career campaign keeps chugging along fiercely.

From Salon ● Oct. 27, 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

It was a motor boat chugging out on the lake.

From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---