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

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

From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 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

There are three in the house: Louise, an 18-year-old puggle; Henry, a 13-year-old Chihuahua terrier and Lily, a 1½-year-old chug.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 23, 2026

We chug along the roads, and before long we’re on the highway heading toward the countryside.

From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya

Fulton lured 40 friends and relatives on board and chugged all the way to Albany and back, covering 300 miles in 62 hours—an astounding pace of nearly 5 miles an hour.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

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

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

As if on cue, a steam engine chugged through the hills just west of us.

From "Willodeen" by Katherine Applegate

The old campers are chugging cans of A&W.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 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

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

Barron’s in January outlined a roadmap 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

Skillets, beds, patched up spare inner tubes all hanging and dangling from the ancient cars on the outside and hopeful humanity, herded and hovered on the inside, chugging on to the muck.

From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston