hug
[huhg]
- 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.
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- to cling together; lie close.
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- a tight clasp with the arms; embrace.
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Origin of hug
1560–70; perhaps < Old Norse hugga to soothe, console; akin to Old English hogian to care for
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
welcomeloveenfoldseizepresslockclinchenvelopnestlecuddleembracecradlecherishgraspretainnursesqueezereceiveclaspExamples from the Web for hugged
Contemporary Examples
With help, he got to his feet, and when she hugged him he lifted his arms slightly as if to return the hug.
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 IconMarcus 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 StoryAurora 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 OrphansAllison Gilbert
August 21, 2014
I deliberately made sure I was hugged separately from my wife.
Historical Examples
She ran to him and put her arms about him and hugged him and cried over him.
The Foolish LoversSt. John G. Ervine
Dogs are made to be hugged and coddled and given the best cushion in the boat.
The UnderdogF. Hopkinson Smith
The epithet "hugged in," which Hetty had used, was the very phrase to best convey it.
Hetty's Strange HistoryAnonymous
He hugged and embraced me, trying to overcome my resistance.
A Comedy of Marriage and Other TalesGuy De Maupassant
She broke out into a little scream, and hugged him tightly round his neck.
Abbe Mouret's TransgressionEmile Zola
hug
- (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)
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- a tight or fond embrace
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Word Origin
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
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Word Origin and History for hugged
hug
v.
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.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper