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

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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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chug chugged chugging

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

“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

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

With a chug of steam and a metallic groan, the train began to move beside us.

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs

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

But soon enough, stock traders learned to live with those worries—and eventually look right past them, while the U.S. economy chugged along and a new leg of the AI rally took the spotlight.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

Influencers in cowboy hats chugged cartons of milk.

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

There was the loud bang of a backfire and the horseless chugged forward.

From "Dragonwings" by Laurence Yep

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

Walk around New York and you'll likely hear the chugging of petrol generators powering the city's tens of thousands of food carts.

From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026

The group’s primal musical stew came from thoroughly American ingredients: ragged blues, chugging rock, narcotic country and hoarse soul.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

We fall silent except for the chugging of the machine, the vest vibrating away.

From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott

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