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Definition of hug verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

hug

verb
 
/hʌɡ/
 
/hʌɡ/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they hug
 
/hʌɡ/
 
/hʌɡ/
he / she / it hugs
 
/hʌɡz/
 
/hʌɡz/
past simple hugged
 
/hʌɡd/
 
/hʌɡd/
past participle hugged
 
/hʌɡd/
 
/hʌɡd/
-ing form hugging
 
/ˈhʌɡɪŋ/
 
/ˈhʌɡɪŋ/
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  1. [transitive, intransitive] hug (somebody) (+ adv./prep.) to put your arms around somebody and hold them tightly, especially to show that you like or love them synonym embrace
    • They hugged each other.
    • She hugged him tightly.
    • He hugged Anna to him.
    • They put their arms around each other and hugged.
    Extra Examples
    • George went to his daughter and hugged her tightly.
    • He reached out and hugged her to him.
    • She gave him a big hug and he hugged her back.
    Topics Family and relationshipsb2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • close
    • tight
    • tightly
    preposition
    • to
    phrases
    • hug and kiss somebody
    See full entry
  2. [transitive] hug something to put your arms around something and hold it close to your body
    • She sat in the chair, hugging her knees.
    • He hugged the hot-water bottle to his chest.
  3. [transitive] hug something (of a path, vehicle, etc.) to keep close to something for a distance
    • The track hugs the coast for a mile.
    • We crept along, hugging the perimeter fence.
  4. [transitive] hug something to fit tightly around something, especially a person’s body
    • figure-hugging jeans
  5. Word Originmid 16th cent.: probably of Scandinavian origin and related to Norwegian hugga ‘comfort, console’.
See hug in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

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