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

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

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

“Everybody goes below deck arid we chug right past.”

From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan

As San Diego chugged through its lineup, Sasaki struggled to keep up.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026

Massie even chugged a celebratory glass of raw milk.

From Slate ● May 20, 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

He happily chugged all three shots of espresso.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026

Grandpa asked, standing up to look as we chugged to a stop in front of the store.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

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

“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

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

A market that keeps chugging ahead doesn’t preclude plenty of volatility under the surface, and it might not stay there.

From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026

Scoob stares at the ceiling, which seems lower than the previous night, his heartbeat chugging between his ears like a runaway train.

From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone