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
-
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
-
are huggingprogressive
-
is huggingprogressive
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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:
A feed from KCAL-TV showed Mayor Bass recognized him and came over and gave him a long hug.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
“I go to give him a hug and he’s like, ‘Oh, you just took an Uber.’”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
At one point, Middagh’s family came down to the sideline and he went over to hug everybody and chat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
Reddington, looking upset, could be seen consoling his client, holding her in a side hug and rubbing her back as journalists left court.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Without a second thought, I give both of Eddie’s parents a hug before I leave.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
Last summer, a record 23 cargo ships transited the Northern Sea Route, which hugs Russia’s north coast.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Tehran has refused to let ships travel any route other than one which hugs the Iranian coast.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
At a meeting later that month, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hugs and kisses him and tells everyone “how great I am.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Her family and boyfriend were scattered around the small arena, but she managed to spot them all and get hugs.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Mr. Retro approaches Dad with careful steps, then hugs Dad tightly.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
Roses are placed on the tables where supporters nibbled from snack plates, hugged, all smiles, and sipped from glasses of sparkling wine or beer.
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
"She hugged me and started to cry. My mind just stopped working."
From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026
Niewiadoma-Phinney, finishing second, hugged it out with Vollering and the boss of Vollering’s team.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Outside court they hugged and supported each other and stood shoulder to shoulder demanding regulation.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
Then Daddy picked me up and said, “Oh, Ida B,” and Mama hugged both of us.
From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan
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
“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
“Neither of us is big on hugging, but we hugged, both of us smiling.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
Anya screamed and clasped Håkon to her, hugging him and Ivan in the middle of the road as the horses galloped past.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
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.
