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hugging

hugging

2 1.0
An act of holding someone close to show love or friendship
  • noun
  • /ˈhʌɡɪŋ/
translation icon : abrazo
  • There's a reason that hugging it can feel healing.

There's a reason that hugging it can feel healing.

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Examples

  • After you give him a hug, notice what he does with his body.

  • We touch them, we give them hugs, lots of hugs.

  • Hugging does miracles.

    Blog text (24)
  • Thereafter, in Healing and Hugging (Fig. 13), she is shown kindness by her new family.

    Academic text (2007)
  • Hugging, closeness, touching...

  • Hugging a friend can provide comfort during tough times.

  • The children were happily hugging each other after the game.

  • She found that hugging her dog made her feel more relaxed.

Synonyms

hug
vshugging
433 1.0

A tight hold with the arms to show care

is used often as playful or preliminary intimacy without sexual contact
embrace
vshugging
61 3.3

A close hug that shows affection and comfort

is specifically bodily affectionate touching, not a figurative use
cuddle
vshugging
19 1.0

A close hug that shows love or gives comfort

is often quicker and playful rather than prolonged comfort or warmth
snuggle
vshugging
  • Informal
12 2.1

A warm, close hug with a person or pet to show affection

is typically used for brief playful or introductory affectionate contact
squeeze
vshugging
  • Informal
10 2.0

A tight warm hug

is a general affectionate hold without special emphasis on tightness
bear hug
vshugging
9 3.0

A very strong, tight hold with your arms around someone

is an affectionate hold that lacks such force or wrestling intent
cuddling
vshugging
9 1.0

Holding someone close in your arms to feel warm and safe

is more often brief and preliminary rather than prolonged comforting contact
snuggling
vshugging
  • Informal
3 2.8

Lying or sitting close to someone to feel warm and safe

is usually a shorter, playful form of affectionate touching rather than long comfort
embracement
vshugging
1 4.7

Holding someone in your arms to show affection

is commonly playful or preliminary intimacy rather than a formal greeting
abrazo
vshugging
1 8.2

A warm hug people give to show affection

is focused on playful or preliminary intimacy rather than ritual greeting
embracing
vshugging
2.5

A close hug made by putting your arms around someone to show affection

is used more for playful or intimate contact rather than formal greeting
open-armed hug
vshugging
2.5

A warm welcome you give by opening your arms to hold someone

is an affectionate hold that may be less overtly welcoming or wide

Antonyms

39 3.7

Keeping away from something or stopping it from happening

21 6.1

A lack of emotional involvement with people or situations

Compounds

tree-hugging
  • Informal
3 7.7

Supporting strong protection of nature, often by public action

A plant that grows very close to the ground and spreads out

6.0

A person who tries to stop people cutting down trees

How Affectionate

cuddling
9 1.0
hugging
2 1.0
embrace
61 3.3
to hold
1.0

Surface Forms

hugging singular
huggings plural

Morphology

hugging = hug (transparent) = hug + ing

The noun is a straightforward gerund/nominalization of the verb 'hug' with the productive suffix '-ing'.

Etymology

Hugging comes from an old Northern word hugga that meant 'to comfort' or 'to hold close'. That's why hugging is literally holding someone close with your arms to show care and warmth.