hug
Americanverb (used with object)
-
hugs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
hugged,
past participle, past
-
hugging
present participle
-
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)
-
hugs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
hugged,
past participle, past
-
hugging
present participle
noun
-
hugs
plural
verb
-
(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
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
hugsimple
-
hugssimple
-
have huggedperfect
-
has huggedperfect
-
am huggingprogressive
-
are huggingprogressive
-
is huggingprogressive
-
have been huggingperfect progressive
-
has been huggingperfect progressive
Past
-
huggedsimple
-
had huggedperfect
-
was huggingprogressive
-
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:
“I saw the place that he went and how much love lifted him up — how when I’d give him a hug, I could see him smile, knowing how much pain he was enduring.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
At Wednesday's public workout, 10-year-old Clodagh Keating from Dublin was picked from the crowd to hug Taylor and join her for a few boxing drills.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Then, outside the Long Beach courtroom, Gonzalez and Bustillos’ mother shared a tearful hug.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
At the end of their first meeting, Joseph Shabalala of Ladysmith Black Mambazo physically embraced Mr. Simon, saying later, “that was my first time to hug a white man.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
And then, with one final hug, they sent me down into the darkness.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
Several gasps and sobs erupted from some of the victims’ relatives as the verdict was read, and they later shared hugs with prosecutors and detectives on the case in a courthouse hallway.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
Reporting on their "emotional reunion", Reuters said "tears, hugs and laughter punctuated their meeting... followed by their first selfie together".
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
Andrew Scott was a genial presence around Telluride, bringing hot-priest energy to brunches and getting hugs from Oprah.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
That dispute sparked the return to strikes last month, as Tehran refused to let ships travel any route other than one which hugs the Iranian coast.
From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026
“Geez, there’s nothing wrong with public displays of affection,” JP says, and hugs me super tight.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
On Sphere’s escalators, grey-bearded lifers hugged in shredded battle jackets; tween girls in “Master of Puppets” hoodies drummed along to every fill; accents came from eastern Europe, Latin America and all the world over.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
People sitting on the pavement hugged their knees, dropping their heads as they listened to the pope's voice echo across the Champs Elysees.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
"Finally, my daughter received my call and I couldn't stop myself, broke out... two relatives that were with me also cried and hugged me," he said.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
As they prepared to leave the lounge, the three hugged each other warmly and said they were looking forward to getting together the following week.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
She was happier than I’d seen her in ages, and so was I. As we left the house that morning, she kissed me goodbye, and then whispered something in my ear as she hugged me.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
As he spoke, mothers in the back rows swayed from side to side, hugging exhausted toddlers who had missed nap time.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
Horvath and members of the Los Angeles Fire Department also could be seen speaking with and hugging Kovacik and other NBC4 journalists on the scene.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
The U.S. military has provided some protection to tankers moving through the strait hugging Oman’s coast, and ship-to-ship transfers have been a growing way to get crude flowing out of the Middle East again.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
Betr isn’t counting on hugging it out with Ellin, responding in part, “We appreciate Doug watching the ad and helping promote it.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Cat didn’t have the words to explain to Chicken why she was hugging him so much.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
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.
