hug

[huhg]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR hug ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), hugged, hug·ging.

to clasp tightly in the arms, especially with affection; embrace.

to cling firmly or fondly to; cherish: to hug an opinion.

to keep close to, as in sailing, walking, or in moving along or alongside of: to hug the shore; to hug the road.

verb (used without object), hugged, hug·ging.

to cling together; lie close.

noun

a tight clasp with the arms; embrace.

Origin of hug

1560–70; perhaps < Old Norse hugga to soothe, console; akin to Old English hogian to care for

Related formshug·ger, nounhug·ging·ly, adverbun·hugged, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for hug

lock, clinch, caress, clasp, squeeze, affection, welcome, love, enfold, seize, press, envelop, nestle, cuddle, embrace, cradle, cherish, grasp, retain, nurse

Examples from the Web for hug

Contemporary Examples of hug

With help, he got to his feet, and when she hugged him he lifted his arms slightly as if to return the hug.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days
David Freeman
December 13, 2014
"Kate sought me out and gave me a hug just before she left," said Mrs Smith afterwards to a reporter at the Daily Mail.
Tearful Kate Weeps After Meeting Mother Whose Baby Died
Tom Sykes
November 25, 2014
And Fred stuck in the card for me that said, “Live from New York…” and gave me a hug.
How Aidy Bryant Stealthily Became Your Favorite ‘Saturday Night Live’ Star
Kevin Fallon
October 31, 2014
Charlie Crist got thrown out of the party for one hug, after all.
John Kasich’s Unforgivable Truth About Obamacare
Michael Tomasky
October 21, 2014
He would pull her toward him, hug her, kiss her, and stroke her hair.
It Was All a Dream: Drama, Bullshit, and the Rebirth of The Source Magazine
Alex Suskind
October 14, 2014

Historical Examples of hug

And then Mike came tearing up and gave him a hug and a pat on the back.
The Widow O'Callaghan's Boys
Gulielma Zollinger
If he be the man I take him for, he must hug an obstacle to his heart as a Heaven-sent gift.
One Of Them
Charles James Lever
Should they not hug their pillow as the friend of their bosom?
Arthur O'Leary
Charles James Lever
He became greatly alarmed, and got rid of his sister's hug definitely.
A Set of Six
Joseph Conrad
There's Barbara Lee, let's hug her—think how dreadful to have her go away.
Highacres
Jane Abbott

British Dictionary definitions for hug

hug

verb hugs, hugging or hugged (mainly tr)

(also intr) to clasp (another person or thing) tightly or (of two people) to cling close together; embrace

to keep close to a shore, kerb, etc

to cling to (beliefs, etc); cherish

to congratulate (oneself); be delighted with (oneself)

noun

a tight or fond embrace

Derived Formshuggable, adjectivehugger, noun

Word Origin for hug

C16: probably of Scandinavian origin; related to Old Norse hugga to comfort, Old English hogian to take care of

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for hug

1560s, hugge "to embrace," of unknown origin; perhaps from Old Norse hugga "to comfort," from hugr "courage, mood," from Proto-Germanic *hugjan, related to Old English hycgan "to think, consider," Gothic hugs "mind, soul, thought." Other have noted the similarity in some senses to German hegen "to foster, cherish," originally "to enclose with a hedge." Related: Hugged; hugging. The noun was originally (1610s) a hold in wrestling. Meaning "affectionate embrace" is from 1650s.