rub

verb
UK: /rʌb/
US: /rʌb/

  1. To move your hand or an object back and forth over a surface with pressure.

    1. I rub my hands to get warm. [ ] [ ]
    2. She began to rub the dirt off her shoes before entering the house, so she wouldn't make a mess. [ ] [ ]

  2. To apply a substance to a surface by pressing and moving something back and forth.

    1. Rub some lotion on your skin. [ ] [ ]
    2. He carefully began to rub the furniture polish into the antique table, working in small circles. [ ] [ ]

  3. To annoy or irritate someone.

    1. His arrogance really rubs me the wrong way. [ ] [ ]
    2. The way she constantly complains about her job began to rub her colleagues the wrong way. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

polish stroke massage scrape chafe irritate annoy exasperate
rub noun

  1. The act of rubbing something.

    1. Give the table a quick rub. [ ] [ ]
    2. With a final rub, the silver was gleaming, reflecting the light beautifully. [ ] [ ]

  2. A situation that causes difficulty or irritation.

    1. That's the rub; we have no money. [ ] [ ]
    2. The rub is, without proper funding, the project cannot proceed as planned. [ ] [ ]
rub noun

  1. A spice mixture that is rubbed onto meat before cooking.

    1. I use a dry rub on the ribs. [ ] [ ]
    2. He experimented with a complex rub containing paprika, cumin, and chili powder for his barbecue. [ ] [ ]
rub noun

  1. A massage.

    1. He offered her a back rub. [ ] [ ]
    2. After the stressful week, a full body rub was just what she needed to unwind. [ ] [ ]
rub phrasal-verb

  1. rub along: to have a reasonably good relationship.

    1. They rub along quite well. [ ] [ ]
    2. Despite their differences, the siblings managed to rub along fairly harmoniously over the years. [ ] [ ]
rub idiom

  1. rub someone up the wrong way: To annoy someone, often without intending to.

    1. He rubs people up the wrong way. [ ] [ ]
    2. Her bossy attitude often rubs new colleagues up the wrong way, creating unnecessary tension. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "rub" in English means: To move your hand or an object back and forth over a surface with pressure., To apply a substance to a surface by pressing and moving something back and forth., To annoy or irritate someone..

The phonetic transcription of "rub" is /rʌb/ in British English and /rʌb/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "rub": polish, stroke, massage, scrape, chafe, irritate, annoy, exasperate.

Example usage of "rub": "I rub my hands to get warm.". More examples on the page.