Word
hug
US/ˈhəɡ/
UK/hˈʌɡ/
Definitions
01to embrace
A2 · Elementary
v. to put your arms around someone to show you like them or to say hello.
v. to squeeze someone tightly in one's arms, typically to express affection, greeting, or consolation.
“The children ran to hug their grandmother as soon as she walked through the door.”
“Upon hearing the news of the successful operation, the family members hugged one another in a spontaneous display of relief and joy.”
Usage
This is a transitive verb that takes a person as a direct object.
02to stay close to
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to stay very close to the edge of something while moving.
v. to move or remain very close to a physical boundary or edge.
Español:pegarse a
“The small boat had to hug the shore to avoid the rough waves in the middle of the lake.”
“The cyclist was careful to hug the curb as the heavy lorries thundered past him on the narrow country road.”
Usage
Often used with objects like 'the coast', 'the shore', or 'the curb'.
03an embrace
A2 · Elementary Countable noun
n. the act of holding someone close in your arms.
n. a physical act of affection involving the wrapping of arms around another person.
“He gave his sister a big hug before he got on the plane.”
“A warm hug can often communicate more sympathy and understanding than a long speech during times of grief.”
Usage
Commonly used with the verb 'give'.
04to cherish an idea
C1 · Advanced Literary
v. to keep a feeling or belief in your mind because it makes you feel good.
v. to hold onto a belief, feeling, or idea with great tenacity or affection.
“Even after many years, he continued to hug the hope that they would meet again.”
“The exiled leader continued to hug the belief that his people would one day rise up and demand his return.”
Usage
Usually takes abstract nouns like 'belief', 'delusion', or 'hope' as objects.
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)).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Idioms
01. bunny hug
02. hugs and kisses
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- A2 · Elementary
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/hug
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0