🤲 To move with pressure 🧽 A cleaning motion ⚠️ A problem

to rub

600 1.0

To move your hand over something with pressure to clean, warm, or ease an itch

verb
/rʌb/

: frotar

To prepare the dough, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.
rub your hands together
rub on the skin
rub the surface

So I'm just going to rub this into the skin.

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Examples

If you rub your eyes too much, it could irritate them further.
I'm just gonna go ahead and rub that into my face.
OK, So you got to rub this really hard, All right?
Now take your hand and rub it over it, right hot, right.
And then with my hands, I would rub it in every morning.
You still kind of have to rub it just so it's smooth.
So I'm just going to rub this into the skin.

Wayne Goss
I know not to rub with a paper towel.

The Drew Barrymore Show
And so I use the leftover and rub it on my hands.
Rub it on your hickey and it'll disappear.

Working Girls (1987)

Synonyms

to wipe

vsto rub

531 1.0

To clean and dry a surface by rubbing it with a cloth or your hand

is broader, used also for warming or relieving irritation not only cleaning

to rub off

vsto rub

21 3.6

Take something off a surface or pass a feeling to another person by touching

is more general, covering cleaning, warming, or soothing actions as well

to knead

vsto rub

4 4.3

Press and rub a person's muscles with hands so they relax

is a simpler repeated motion used for cleaning or mild soothing rather than deep massage

to pass over

vsto rub

1 3.7

To move something gently over a surface

is often firmer and repeated for cleaning, warming, or relieving irritation

to rub down

vsto rub

1 4.1

To clean or massage a person's body by moving something over it

is more general and not limited to bodies or relaxation purposes

to rub away

vsto rub

1 3.4

Remove a mark by moving a cloth or hand over it many times

is broader, also used for gentle warming or relieving rather than only removal

to rub out

vsto rub

1 4.3

Erase a mark by using an eraser or cloth until it disappears

is less narrowly about erasing and more about varied effects like warming

to rub in

vsto rub

1 3.6

To press something into a surface, for example cream into skin or words into someone's mind

is broader, including simple motion for cleaning or soothing without adding substance

Antonyms

to ignore

∞ 1.0

Choose not to pay attention to someone or something

to leave alone

∞ 2.3

To avoid touching and disturbing a person, animal or object

Idioms

to rub salt in the wound

Informal

1 6.6

To make someone's bad feelings worse by reminding them of a disappointment

Phrasal Verbs

to rub off on

35 5.8

To have a mood or behaviour spread from one person to others

to rub it in

Informal

34 7.2

Make someone feel worse by reminding them of a mistake or failure

to rub off

21 3.6

Take something off a surface or pass a feeling to another person by touching

to rub hands together

9 2.0

To move your hands quickly against each other to warm them

to rub elbows

Informal

8 5.8

To meet and talk with important people at social events

to rub shoulders

7 4.6

Mix socially with important or famous people

to rub off

5 3.4

Come off a surface when something moves against it

to rub one's hands together

3 3.3

Move hands quickly over each other to show excitement or pleasure

to rub down

1 4.1

To clean or massage a person's body by moving something over it

to rub in

1 3.6

To press something into a surface, for example cream into skin or words into someone's mind

to rub along

1 7.5

To manage to live with little money

to rub away

1 3.4

Remove a mark by moving a cloth or hand over it many times

to rub out

1 4.3

Erase a mark by using an eraser or cloth until it disappears

to rub for luck

1 6.3

Touch something to try to get good luck

to rub down

4.4

To make a surface smooth by moving something over it

Compounds

Rub al-Khali

9.9

A vast sandy desert in southern Saudi Arabia and nearby countries with huge sand dunes

rub-a-dub

9.9

A steady repeating drum sound you hear at parades

peppery rub

4.1

A mix of spices with black pepper used to season meat before cooking

How Vigorous

to scour

15 4.8

to scrub

55 1.0

to rub

600 1.0

to wipe

531 1.0

to touch

∞ 1.0

to dab

11 2.8

Surface Forms

rub infinitive

rubbed past

rubbed past participle

rubbing present participle

rubs third person singular

Etymology

Rub probably began as a short sound word that copies the rough feel or noise of moving something back and forth, like the little sound a cloth makes. So to rub is to move your hand or an object over something with pressure and repeated motion to clean, warm, or ease an itch.