lug

1 of 3

verb

ˈləg 

lugged; lugging

transitive verb

1

: drag, pull

2

: to carry laboriously

lugged the bags to the car

3

: to introduce in a forced manner

lugs my name into the argument

intransitive verb

1

: to pull with effort : tug

2

: to move heavily or by jerks

the car lugs on hills

3

of a racehorse : to swerve from the course toward or away from the inside rail

lug

2 of 3

noun (1)

1

archaic

a

: an act of lugging

b

: something that is lugged

c

: a shipping container for produce

2

: lugsail

3

lugs plural : superior airs or affectations

put on lugs

4

slang : an exaction of money

—used in the phrase put the lug on

lug

3 of 3

noun (2)

1

: something (such as a handle) that projects like an ear: such as

a

: a leather loop on a harness saddle through which the shaft passes

b

: a metal fitting to which electrical wires are soldered or connected

2

chiefly British : ear

3

: a ridge (as on the bottom of a shoe) to increase traction

4

: a nut used to secure a wheel on an automotive vehicle

called also lug nut

5

a

: a big clumsy fellow

b

: an ordinary commonplace person

Synonyms

Verb

• pull
• haul
• drag

Noun (2)

• lump
• hulk
• mutt
• loser
• heel
• idiot
• gawk
• creep
• brute

Examples of lug in a Sentence

Verb

She had to lug her suitcases out to the car by herself.

I was lugging a heavy camera around all day.

Noun (2)

get off of my feet, you big lug!

the billionaire industrialist was totally clueless about the concerns of the blue-collar lugs that worked for him

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

No one wants to lug heavy piles of yard waste to an out-of-the-way compost bin—especially in the dead of winter. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 June 2025

And then Friday night, the feds lugged one of their Pulitzer Prize winners. —Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 28 June 2025

Noun

The white or rose gold cases are paired with three colors – sunburst blue, brun désert, rouge sellier – reaffirming the timeless nature of the line with its characteristic asymmetrical lugs crafted in the Hermès Horloger workshops. —Anthony Demarco, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

Lindley proposed the idea to the co-owner after finding out he was suspended due to loose lug nuts. —Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English luggen to pull by the hair or ear, drag, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian lugga to pull by the hair

Noun (2)

Middle English (Scots) lugge, perhaps from Middle English luggen

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (1)

1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for lug

• chug
• doug
• drug
• dug
• hug
• jug
• mug
• plug
• pug
• rug
• rugg
• shrug

Kids Definition

lug

1 of 2 verb

ˈləg 

lugged; lugging

: to pull or carry especially with great effort

lug

2 of 2 noun

1

: a part (as a handle) that projects like an ear

2

: a nut used to hold a wheel on an automotive vehicle

3

a

: a big clumsy fellow

b

: an ordinary commonplace person