Definition of rub
- in spite of financial difficulties, he is rubbing along
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.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rub.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use: 14th century
in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a
See Words from the same yearShe'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
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rub.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
1577
aggravation, annoyance, bother, bugbear, exasperation, frustration, hassle, headache, inconvenience, irk, irritant, nuisance, peeve, pest, ruffle, thorn, trial, vexation;
discomfort, fleabite, pinprick;
affront, insult, offense (or offence);
affliction, albatross, burden, cross, curse, menace, millstone, plague, sore;
anxiety, plight, predicament, tribulation, trouble;
: to move something (such as your hand or an object) back and forth along the surface of (something) while pressing
: to move (two things) back and forth against each other
: to move back and forth many times against something in a way that causes pain or damage
: an act of rubbing a surface with your hands or an object
the rub : something that causes a difficulty or problem
: a combination of spices that is rubbed into the surface of meat before the meat is cooked
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for rub Spanish Central: Translation of rub Nglish: Translation of rub for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of rub for Arabic speakers
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