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. 2018

Related Words for hugged

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

Examples from the Web for hugged

Contemporary Examples of hugged

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
Ali walked up and hugged Gil, and the pair discussed music and racism and current events before a rapt audience.
‘The Prince of Chocolate City’: When Gil Scott-Heron Became A Music Icon
Marcus Baram
November 15, 2014
Yet I was hugged, inundated with compliments, and told how strong I was for being on the receiving end.
My ‘Kink’ Nightmare: James Franco’s BDSM Porn Documentary ‘Kink’ Only Tells Part of the Story
Aurora Snow
August 30, 2014
We felt strong and empowered and hugged each other in celebration and recognition of our emotional and physical accomplishments.
Motherless Daughters and Parentless Parents Trek to the Andes to Aid Orphans
Allison Gilbert
August 21, 2014
I deliberately made sure I was hugged separately from my wife.
Patted Down by India’s Hugging Saint
Daniel Genis
July 20, 2014

Historical Examples of hugged

She ran to him and put her arms about him and hugged him and cried over him.
The Foolish Lovers
St. John G. Ervine
Dogs are made to be hugged and coddled and given the best cushion in the boat.
The Underdog
F. Hopkinson Smith
The epithet "hugged in," which Hetty had used, was the very phrase to best convey it.
Hetty's Strange History
Anonymous
He hugged and embraced me, trying to overcome my resistance.
A Comedy of Marriage and Other Tales
Guy De Maupassant
She broke out into a little scream, and hugged him tightly round his neck.
Abbe Mouret's Transgression
Emile Zola

British Dictionary definitions for hugged

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 hugged

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.