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

“Going to Babble On” has a quicker pulse with guitars that chug, and its vibe has the melodic ease of the early-’80s pop style sometimes called yacht rock.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 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

Hanlon agreed that niche players such as Curiosity Stream, which specializes in documentary programming, and art house film specialists Criterion Collection, can continue to chug along as the bigger players battle it out.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 5, 2025

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

The white of the sky and the chug of the train, the speed and the rocking and the grease scent tipped me toward giddy.

From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon

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

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

Mike Wanchic and Larry Crane’s guitars never chugged more cooperatively.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

Massie even chugged a celebratory glass of raw milk.

From Slate ● May 20, 2026

He happily chugged all three shots of espresso.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026

“This is so fun,” June said, still out of breath as she grabbed a cup of fluorescent red punch from the table and chugged it.

From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake

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

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

There’s screaming, rising up and echoing between the buildings, between the chugging trains.

From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---