rubbed; rubbing
1
a
: to move along the surface of a body with pressure : grate
b(1)
: to fret or chafe with or as if with friction
(2)
: to cause discontent, irritation, or anger
2
: to continue in a situation usually with slight difficulty
in spite of financial difficulties, he is rubbing along
3
: to admit of being rubbed (as for erasure or obliteration)
1
a
: to subject to or as if to the action of something moving especially back and forth with pressure and friction
b(1)
: to cause (a body) to move with pressure and friction along a surface
(2)
: to treat in any of various ways by rubbing
c
: to bring into reciprocal back-and-forth or rotary contact
1
a
: an unevenness of surface (as of the ground in lawn bowling)
b
: obstruction, difficulty
the rub is that so few of the scholars have any sense of this truth themselves—
Benjamin Farrington
Benjamin Farrington
c
: something grating to the feelings (such as a gibe or harsh criticism)
d
: something that mars serenity
2
: the application of friction with pressure
an alcohol rub
3
US
: a combination of spices that is rubbed into the surface of meat before the meat is cooked
used a dry rub on the pork ribs
Synonyms
Verb
Noun
Examples of rub in a Sentence
Verb
Could you rub my shoulders?
He blinked and rubbed his eyes.
The cat rubbed itself against my leg.
The cat rubbed against my leg.
Don't rub too hard or you'll tear the paper.
He rubbed his hands with glee.
There was a squeak when the boards rubbed together.
The back of my shoe is rubbing against my heel and giving me a blister.
There are marks where the chair has rubbed against the wall.
There are marks where the chair has been rubbing the wall.
Noun
She's an amazing cook, but she rarely has time to make meals. There's the rub.
He used his favorite rub on the steaks.
a dry rub for chicken
Recent Examples on the WebMadison Bloom, Pitchfork, 5 Apr. 2024
The jurors’ decision, which came about eight hours after deliberations began and long after most of the victims’ family members and friends had gone home, had Calloway rubbing away the tears from his eyes with his freed hands.
—Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024
Emily kept the hardware interesting with polished nickel faucets and oil rubbed bronze hardware and lighting.
—Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024
However, these schemes have inevitably started to rub natives the wrong way.
—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 25 Mar. 2024
This sneaker has a padded foam sock liner at the edge to help reduce rubbing and keep walking easy.
—Gabrielle Porcaro, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2024
Moisten a sponge with a diluted solution, rub until the sap dissolves, then thoroughly rinse until the water runs clear, a customer-service representative said.
—Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024
Developers sensitive to the strain are proposing new hotels on the Stockyards’ fringes, where the district rubs against residential neighborhoods.
—Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2024
Musk, although a visionary entrepreneur, has rubbed some the wrong way at Tesla for his blunt demeanor and reportedly demanding nature toward workers.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024
Saveur Editors, Saveur, 14 Feb. 2024
The beef flank steak is given a dry rub a couple days in advance, seared, and slow cooked in coffee and a sweet potato vegetable stock.
—Ben Jarrell, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
This chain also goes a step further by selling its dry rubs as seasonings to be used in a range of dishes at home.
—Angela L. Pagán / The Takeout, Quartz, 24 Mar. 2024
For deer, this can be droppings, tracks, beds, rubs, and scrapes.
—Matthew Every, Field & Stream, 13 Mar. 2024
Texas uses both dry rubs and sauces to enhance the barbecue flavors.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Feb. 2024
Texas smoke masters use dry rubs for their brisket.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Feb. 2024
Here, cumin, ginger, and marjoram are used in seasoning rubs.
—Kayla Stewart, Bon Appétit, 23 Feb. 2024
Apply a liberal amount of rub to both sides of the ribs.
—Kathy Mooreand, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024
Verb
Gospel, Afrobeats, 1970s funk, and Sudanese soul rub shoulders on songs full of joyful rhythms and diaspora stories.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 5 Apr. 2024
The jurors’ decision, which came about eight hours after deliberations began and long after most of the victims’ family members and friends had gone home, had Calloway rubbing away the tears from his eyes with his freed hands.
—Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024
Emily kept the hardware interesting with polished nickel faucets and oil rubbed bronze hardware and lighting.
—Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024
However, these schemes have inevitably started to rub natives the wrong way.
—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 25 Mar. 2024
This sneaker has a padded foam sock liner at the edge to help reduce rubbing and keep walking easy.
—Gabrielle Porcaro, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2024
Moisten a sponge with a diluted solution, rub until the sap dissolves, then thoroughly rinse until the water runs clear, a customer-service representative said.
—Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024
Developers sensitive to the strain are proposing new hotels on the Stockyards’ fringes, where the district rubs against residential neighborhoods.
—Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2024
Musk, although a visionary entrepreneur, has rubbed some the wrong way at Tesla for his blunt demeanor and reportedly demanding nature toward workers.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024
Noun
Scotch bonnet, thyme, allspice, scallions—these are the building blocks of Jamaican cuisine, whether in a rub for jerk chicken or in the juicy filling for beef patties.
—Saveur Editors, Saveur, 14 Feb. 2024
The beef flank steak is given a dry rub a couple days in advance, seared, and slow cooked in coffee and a sweet potato vegetable stock.
—Ben Jarrell, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
This chain also goes a step further by selling its dry rubs as seasonings to be used in a range of dishes at home.
—Angela L. Pagán / The Takeout, Quartz, 24 Mar. 2024
For deer, this can be droppings, tracks, beds, rubs, and scrapes.
—Matthew Every, Field & Stream, 13 Mar. 2024
Texas uses both dry rubs and sauces to enhance the barbecue flavors.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Feb. 2024
Texas smoke masters use dry rubs for their brisket.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Feb. 2024
Here, cumin, ginger, and marjoram are used in seasoning rubs.
—Kayla Stewart, Bon Appétit, 23 Feb. 2024
Apply a liberal amount of rub to both sides of the ribs.
—Kathy Mooreand, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rub.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Rub.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rub. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rub
1 of 2 verb
rubbed; rubbing
1
a
: to move along the surface of a body with pressure
b
: to wear away or chafe with friction
2
: to scour, polish, erase, spread, or smear by pressure and friction
rub
2 of 2 noun1
a
: something that gets in the way : difficulty
b
: something that is annoying
2
: the act of rubbing
Medical Definition
rub
noun1
: the application of friction with pressure
an alcohol rub
2
: a sound heard in auscultation that is produced by the friction of one structure moving against another
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