hug
Americanverb (used with object)
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hugs,
present (3rd person singular)
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hugged,
past participle, past
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hugging
present participle
-
to clasp tightly in the arms, especially with affection; embrace.
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to cling firmly or fondly to; cherish.
to hug an opinion.
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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)
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hugs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
hugged,
past participle, past
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hugging
present participle
noun
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hugs
plural
verb
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(also intr) to clasp (another person or thing) tightly or (of two people) to cling close together; embrace
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to keep close to a shore, kerb, etc
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to cling to (beliefs, etc); cherish
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to congratulate (oneself); be delighted with (oneself)
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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hugsimple
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hugssimple
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have huggedperfect
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has huggedperfect
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am huggingprogressive
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are huggingprogressive
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is huggingprogressive
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have been huggingperfect progressive
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has been huggingperfect progressive
Past
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huggedsimple
-
had huggedperfect
-
was huggingprogressive
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were huggingprogressive
-
had been huggingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of hug
First recorded in 1560–70; perhaps from Old Norse hugga “to soothe, console”; akin to Old English hogian “to care for”
Explanation
To hug someone is to warmly embrace or grasp them with your arms. Some families hug each other all the time, while others save their hugs for special occasions. Celebrate National Hug Your Cat Day if you want to, but your cat may be less enthusiastic about it than you are. Hug is both a verb and a noun: when you hug your cat, she gets a hug. You can also hug your knees, holding them close to your body, and your skinny jeans can be said to hug your legs, or fit tightly. Hug probably comes from the Old Norse hugga, "to comfort."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“Kelsie was very emotional, and I just went over there and gave her a hug, and I know how much this means to her, and then also Maybellel Blair,” Davis said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
"Before stressful events, they come together, they reassure each other, they touch each other, they hug each other," said Prof Zanna Clay.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
But dogs—Canis familiaris—they welcome the arms, the hug, the love.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
After he grounded out in his final at-bat, Freeman enveloped him in an impromptu bear hug.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Auntie holds her arms out to me, and I go in for the hug.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
The new, twice-daily journey to Sweden's Haparanda takes 100-minutes as it hugs the west coast of Finland before crossing the border between the two Nordic neighbours.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
After imposing an effective blockade on the strait, Iran has insisted ships take a route that hugs the Iranian coast.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
As that warm blob of ocean water hugs the coast of South America, it heats the air above, causing the pressure to drop.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Tehran wants ships to go through the strait’s northern passage, which hugs Iran’s coast.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Clasping the Bible, Father steps back, shakes Grandpa’s hand, hugs Ma.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
She rode camels in Egypt, cruised the Nile River and hugged the pillars at Stonehenge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Before the latest round of talks between Oman and Iran, Muscat angered the military in Tehran when, without Iranian approval, it set up a U.S.-backed shipping corridor that hugged the Omani coastline.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
"There were lots of tears," said Urmston, "then we just all hugged."
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
After the news conference, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni hugged Spain counterpart Luis de la Fuente, who was one of the instructors when Scaloni gained his Uefa Pro coaching licence in Spain.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
She hugged herself against the cool night air.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
“I was worried about getting a crazy neighbor, but you seem great,” she added, hugging me tightly and handing me a tray of sandwiches to share with my friends who were helping with the move.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
“After the meeting … we’re hugging, and we’re all on the same page, trying to fight this,” he said.
From Salon ● Aug. 3, 2026
The Emirati Defense Ministry said both tankers were sailing through a route hugging the coast of Oman when they were attacked.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
He worked the room - and it was a very big room - with great patience, hugging and chatting, joking, posing for pictures, trying out a few of the sports events.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
When it grew dark, he climbed to the top of his tree and lay down in the crook of a branch, hugging Amanda’s scarf.
From "Abel's Island" by William Steig
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
