English Dictionary

TUG (tugged, tugging)

Pronunciation (US): Play  (GB): Play

IPA (US): 

Irregular inflected forms: tugged  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation, tugging  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation

 Dictionary entry overview: What does tug mean? 

TUG (noun)
  The noun TUG has 2 senses:

1. a sudden abrupt pullplay

2. a powerful small boat designed to pull or push larger shipsplay

  Familiarity information: TUG used as a noun is rare.


TUG (verb)
  The verb TUG has 7 senses:

1. pull hardplay

2. strive and make an effort to reach a goalplay

3. tow (a vessel) with a tugplay

4. carry with difficultyplay

5. move by pulling hardplay

6. pull or strain hard atplay

7. struggle in oppositionplay

  Familiarity information: TUG used as a verb is common.


 Dictionary entry details 


TUG (noun)


Sense 1

Meaning:

A sudden abrupt pull

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

jerk; tug

Hypernyms ("tug" is a kind of...):

pull; pulling (the act of pulling; applying force to move something toward or with you)

Derivation:

tug (pull hard)

tug (pull or strain hard at)

tug (move by pulling hard)


Sense 2

Meaning:

A powerful small boat designed to pull or push larger ships

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

towboat; tower; tug; tugboat

Hypernyms ("tug" is a kind of...):

boat (a small vessel for travel on water)

Meronyms (parts of "tug"):

helm (steering mechanism for a vessel; a mechanical device by which a vessel is steered)

Derivation:

tug (tow (a vessel) with a tug)


TUG (verb)

 Conjugation: 
Present simple: I / you / we / they tug  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation ... he / she / it tugs  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation
Past simple: tugged  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation
Past participle: tugged  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation
-ing form: tugging  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation


Sense 1

Meaning:

Pull hard

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

This movie tugs at the heart strings

Hypernyms (to "tug" is one way to...):

attract; draw; draw in; pull; pull in (direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Derivation:

tug (a sudden abrupt pull)

tugger (someone who pulls or tugs or drags in an effort to move something)


Sense 2

Meaning:

Strive and make an effort to reach a goal

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

drive; labor; labour; push; tug

Context example:

She is driving away at her doctoral thesis

Hypernyms (to "tug" is one way to...):

fight; struggle (make a strenuous or labored effort)

Verb group:

bear on; push (press, drive, or impel (someone) to action or completion of an action)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "tug"):

reach; strain; strive (to exert much effort or energy)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE


Sense 3

Meaning:

Tow (a vessel) with a tug

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

The tugboat tugged the freighter into the harbor

Hypernyms (to "tug" is one way to...):

tow (drag behind)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

tug (a powerful small boat designed to pull or push larger ships)

tugger (someone who pulls or tugs or drags in an effort to move something)


Sense 4

Meaning:

Carry with difficulty

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

lug; tote; tug

Context example:

You'll have to lug this suitcase

Hypernyms (to "tug" is one way to...):

carry; transport (move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something


Sense 5

Meaning:

Move by pulling hard

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

The horse finally tugged the cart out of the mud

Hypernyms (to "tug" is one way to...):

displace; move (cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

tug (a sudden abrupt pull)

tugger (someone who pulls or tugs or drags in an effort to move something)


Sense 6

Meaning:

Pull or strain hard at

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

Each oar was tugged by several men

Hypernyms (to "tug" is one way to...):

draw; pull (cause to move by pulling)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

tug (a sudden abrupt pull)


Sense 7

Meaning:

Struggle in opposition

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Context example:

She tugged and wrestled with her conflicts

Hypernyms (to "tug" is one way to...):

contend; fight; struggle (be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s


 Context examples 


Additionally, Mars can often inflame a situation, so you may feel as though you are in a tug of war with the other party and find it hard to extract answers.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

“Come, come!” she cried, tugging at his arm.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

And it was he that first gripped another cub by the ear and pulled and tugged and growled through jaws tight-clenched.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

He felt a tug at his arm, and heard a voice saying: Wake up, Bill! What's the matter with you?

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

"I've sent for Mother," said Jo, tugging at her rubber boots with a tragic expression.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

‘Then it must be the other way that the thief took,’ cried the fellow, tugging at my sleeve.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It was on a bitterly cold and frosty morning, towards the end of the winter of ’97, that I was awakened by a tugging at my shoulder.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

They tugged his hair with their hands, put their feet upon his back and rolled him about, or they took a hazel-switch and beat him, and when he growled they laughed.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

I glanced back at the coach, and I saw Lady Lade, with her savage little white teeth clenched together, throw herself forward and tug with both hands at the off-side reins.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

This makes it more vulnerable to the impact of tidal forces that tug at it.

(NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory Finds Planet That Makes Star Act Deceptively Old, NASA)



 Learn English with... Proverbs 
"If wishes were horses, beggars would ride." (English proverb)

"Pity without help does little good" (Breton proverb)

"Blame comes before swords." (Arabic proverb)

"Still waters wash out banks." (Czech proverb)



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