tug
verb · noun
Simple meaning
Pull or strain hard at.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
tuhgIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈtʌɡ
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
Pull or strain hard at
“Each oar was tugged by several men.”
transitive
To pull or drag with great effort.
transitive
To pull hard repeatedly.
Tow (a vessel) with a tug
“The tugboat tugged the freighter into the harbor.”
transitive
To tow by tugboat.
noun
A sudden abrupt pull
A powerful small boat designed to pull or push larger ships
A sudden powerful pull.
A type of tractor used for moving trailers.
A dog toy consisting of a rope, often with a knot in it.
A trace, or drawing strap, of a harness.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Pull or strain hard at
Used this way, tug is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“Each oar was tugged by several men.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Pullverb
“Each oar was tugged by several men.”
Towverb
“The tugboat tugged the freighter into the harbor.”
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Any hard struggle between equally matched groups.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: pull or strain hard at
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Words can change meaning depending on context.
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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.