Tug meaning

What does “tug” mean? Definitions, examples, synonyms and opposites.

“tug” is a noun and verb with 9 meanings. Its most common meaning is: a sudden abrupt pull.

tug

noun

  1. a sudden abrupt pull

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

verb

  1. pull hard

    “The prisoner tugged at the chains”

    “This movie tugs at the heart strings”

  2. strive and make an effort to reach a goal

    “She tugged for years to make a decent living”

    “We have to push a little to make the deadline!”

  3. tow (a vessel) with a tug

    “The tugboat tugged the freighter into the harbor”

  4. carry with difficulty

    “You'll have to lug this suitcase”

    Synonymslugtote
  5. move by pulling hard

    “The horse finally tugged the cart out of the mud”

  6. pull or strain hard at

    “Each oar was tugged by several men”

  7. struggle in opposition

    “She tugged and wrestled with her conflicts”

Source: WordNet 3.1, Princeton University