A hug is a warm, close embracea close, often affectionate holding with the arms, usually to show affectiona feeling of liking and caring for someone or comfort. As a verb, hug means to hold someone tightlywith firm pressure and little or no looseness in your arms. It can also mean that something fits very closely around another thing.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-29. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /hʌɡ/
Easy pronunciation: HUG (approximate spelling).
Stress: One syllable, stressed on the only syllable.
Verb: to hold someone tightly in your arms with fondness.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-29. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Hug Meaning
to put your arms around someone in a caring way
Part of speech: verb
Definition: hold (someone) tightly in your arms, usually with fondness
Example: She hugged her brother before he left.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- embrace — The closest direct synonym for the affectionate sense.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-29. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Hug
Meaning 2
a close arm-around greeting or display of affection
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a tight or amorous embrace
Example: He gave her a quick hug goodbye.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- embrace — Works well as a noun for a close embrace.
Meaning 3
to fit very closely around something
Part of speech: verb
Definition: fit closely or tightly
Example: The jacket hugged his shoulders.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-29. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Hug Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- embrace
Noun: a close embrace
- embrace
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-29. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Using hug as a synonym for any kind of close contact, even when the meaning is actually 'fit closely' or 'press tightly.'
- Treating squeeze as a direct synonym in every sense; it is only loosely related in some contexts.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-29. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does hug mean?
Hug usually means to put your arms around someone to show affection, comfort, or support. It can also mean a close embrace as a noun, or describe something that fits very tightly around another thing.
What is a synonym for hug?
The best everyday synonym for the verb is embrace. For the noun, embrace also works well in many contexts.
Can hug mean something besides an embrace?
Yes. It can also mean that something fits closely, as in a dress or jacket hugging the body.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-29. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
