- The definition of a hug is when two people embrace with their arms.
An example of a hug is two friends saying goodbye by wrapping their arms around each other.
A little girl gives her dog a hug.
transitive verbhugged, hugging
- to put the arms around and hold closely; esp., to embrace tightly and affectionately
- to squeeze tightly between the forelegs, as a bear does
- to cling to or cherish (a belief, opinion, etc.)
- to keep close to: to hug the shoreline in sailing
Origin of hugprobably via dialect, dialectal ; from Old Norse hugga, to comfort, console
- a close, affectionate embrace
- a tight clasp or hold with the arms, as in wrestling
- a bear's squeeze
verbhugged hugged, hug·ging, hugs
- To clasp or hold closely, especially in the arms, as in affection; embrace.
- To hold steadfastly to; cherish: He still hugs his outmoded beliefs.
- To stay close to: a sailboat hugging the shore.
- A close, affectionate embrace.
- A crushing embrace, as in wrestling.
Origin of hugProbably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse hugga, to comfort.
(third-person singular simple present hugs, present participle hugging, simple past and past participle hugged)
From earlier hugge (“to embrace”) (1560), probably representing a conflation of huck (“to crouch, huddle down”) and Old Norse hugga (“to comfort, console”), from hugr (“courage”), from Proto-Germanic *hugiz (“mind, sense”), cognate with Icelandic hugga (“to comfort”), Old English hyge (“thought, mind, heart, disposition, intention, courage, pride”).