sub
verb · noun
Simple meaning
To replace with a substitute.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
suhbIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈsʌb
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
USinformalBritishsoccer
To replace (a player) with a substitute.
“The young teacher had to substitute for the sick colleague.”
usinformal
To work as a substitute teacher, especially in primary and secondary education.
british
To perform the work of a subeditor or copy editor; to subedit.
To coat with a layer of adhering material; to planarize by means of such a coating.
ukslangtransitive
To lend (a person) money.
noun
A sandwich made on a long, cylindrical roll split lengthwise.
informal
A replacement or stand-in for something that achieves a similar result or purpose.
colloquial
A contractor hired by another contractor (often a general contractor) and thus employed by that contractor rather than directly hired by the customer.
colloquial
Clipping of subsistence money, part of a worker's wages paid before the work is finished.
colloquial
An assistant editor, usually in a specific department of a newspaper.
philippinescolloquial
The noun, pronoun or noun phrase about whom the statement is made. In active clauses with verbs denoting an action, the subject is the actor. In clauses in the passive voice the subject is the target of the action.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner (estimated)
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: (British, informal, soccer) To replace (a player) with a substitute.
Used this way, sub is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It turns up most in everyday conversation and social media or informal writing contexts.
“The young teacher had to substitute for the sick colleague.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Casual
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Playful
- Usage feel
- Casual and conversational
Where it naturally appears
- Everyday conversation
- Social media/informal writing
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “sub for …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Natural pattern: sub for …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
To substitute for somebody or something.
To serve as a replacement (for someone or something).
To substitute for; to replace; (theater) to serve as an understudy.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.