hug

A2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /hʌɡ/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like hog /ʌ/ vs /ɑ/

Freq #2548

Meanings

1

verb
To hold someone closely in your arms to show love or affection.

She hugged her daughter tightly before saying goodbye.
2

noun
The act of holding someone closely in your arms.

Come here and give me a big hug.
3

verb
To fit closely or stay very near something.

The road hugs the coastline for several miles.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to hold someone closely in... embrace

2 noun · the act of holding someone... clinch embrace

More adhere coll stick

Word family

Forms huggedhugginghugs

Derived forms body-huggingbro-hugbrohugbunny-hugcyberhuge-hugfigure-hugginghug-a-hoodiehug-boxhug-me-tighthugaholichugbox

Related forms cuddlehugglekiss snuggle squeeze

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

bear hug
a wrestling hold in which both arms tightly encircle an opponent

Noun + noun

Etymology

From earlier hugge (“to embrace, clasp with the arms”) (1560), probably representing a conflation of huck (“to crouch, huddle down”) and Old Norse hugga (“to comfort, console”), from hugr (“mind, heart, thought”), from Proto-Germanic *hugiz (“mind, thought, sense”), cognate with Icelandic hugga (“to comfort”), Old English hyġe (“thought”) (whence high (Etymology 2)).

hugga Old Norse *hugiz Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# hug

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /hʌɡ/
**Frequency rank:** 2548

## Meanings
1. To hold someone closely in your arms to show love or affection.
2. The act of holding someone closely in your arms.
3. To fit closely or stay very near something.

## Examples
- She hugged her daughter tightly before saying goodbye.
- Come here and give me a big hug.
- The road hugs the coastline for several miles.

## Synonyms
- adhere
- coll
- embrace
- stick

## Derived Forms
- body-hugging
- bro-hug
- brohug
- bunny-hug
- cyberhug
- e-hug
- figure-hugging
- hug-a-hoodie
- hug-box
- hug-me-tight
- hugaholic
- hugbox

## Related Forms
- cuddle
- huggle
- kiss
- snuggle
- squeeze

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: hugga
- Root: *hugiz

## Etymology
From earlier hugge (“to embrace, clasp with the arms”) (1560), probably representing a conflation of huck (“to crouch, huddle down”) and Old Norse hugga (“to comfort, console”), from hugr (“mind, heart, thought”), from Proto-Germanic *hugiz (“mind, thought, sense”), cognate with Icelandic hugga (“to comfort”), Old English hyġe (“thought”) (whence high (Etymology 2)).

## AI Etymology
Hug comes from earlier hugge (“to embrace, clasp with the arms”) (1560), probably representing a conflation of huck (“to crouch, huddle down”) and Old Norse hugga (“to comfort, console”), from hugr (“mind, heart, thought”), from Proto-Germanic *hugiz (“mind, thought, sense”), cognate with Icelandic hugga (“to comfort”), Old English hyġe (“thought”) (whence high (Etymology 2)). In current use, the main senses are “To hold someone closely in your arms to show love or affection” and “The act of holding someone closely in your arms”.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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hug