snug
Americanadjective
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warmly comfortable or cozy, as a place, accommodations, etc..
a snug little house.
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fitting closely, as a garment.
a snug jacket.
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more or less compact or limited in size, and sheltered or warm.
a snug harbor.
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trim, neat, or compactly arranged, as a ship or its parts.
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comfortably circumstanced, as persons.
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pleasant or agreeable, especially in a small, exclusive way.
a snug coterie of writers.
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enabling one to live in comfort.
a snug fortune.
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secret; concealed; well-hidden.
a snug hideout.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
adverb
noun
adjective
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comfortably warm and well-protected; cosy
the children were snug in bed during the blizzard
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small but comfortable
a snug cottage
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well-ordered; compact
a snug boat
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sheltered and secure
a snug anchorage
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fitting closely and comfortably
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offering safe concealment
noun
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(in Britain and Ireland) one of the bars in certain pubs, offering intimate seating for only a few persons
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engineering a small peg under the head of a bolt engaging with a slot in the bolted component to prevent the bolt turning when the nut is tightened
verb
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to make or become comfortable and warm
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(tr) nautical to make (a vessel) ready for a storm by lashing down gear
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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snugsimple
-
snugssimple
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have snuggedperfect
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has snuggedperfect
-
am snuggingprogressive
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are snuggingprogressive
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is snuggingprogressive
-
have been snuggingperfect progressive
-
has been snuggingperfect progressive
Past
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snuggedsimple
-
had snuggedperfect
-
was snuggingprogressive
-
were snuggingprogressive
-
had been snuggingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of snug
First recorded in 1575–85; perhaps from Old Norse snøggr “short-haired”; cognate with Swedish snygg “neat”
Explanation
You may have noticed your pants getting a little snug during the holiday season. That could mean they’re just extra comfortable or it could be another way of saying they're feeling a little tight. Snug describes something that's comfortable and cozy. During a snowstorm you may take shelter in your snug cottage in front of the fireplace. When talking about clothing, snug means fitting tightly. Clothing may be snug on purpose, like a bathing suit, or it may be snug because it’s in fact too small. If you’re “snug as a bug in a rug,” you’re as cozy as can be, or metaphorically speaking, in a very comfortable position in life.
Vocabulary lists containing snug
Comfy Cozy Lingo
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"Digging" by Seamus Heaney
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Lesson 6
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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.
A Google spokeswoman said the lightweight Fitbit Air is easier to move during more aggressive exercises, especially if the band isn’t snug.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
Cara found us in a big armchair at the edge of the party — José and I snug together while 30-some people mingled, drinks in hand.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026
The asking price is $25 million, which might seem a startling figure for a two-bedroom, 2,300-square-foot home on a snug lot.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 24, 2025
Its opening poem, “Digging,” feels earthbound with its low-pitched vowels: “Between my finger and my thumb / The squat pen rests; snug as a gun.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025
I was surprisingly snug in my bag and in no hurry at all to put myself through the foolishness of climbing hills, so I just lay there as if under grave orders not to move.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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.
