rub

verb

\ ˈrəb

rubbed; rubbing

Definition of rub

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1a : 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)

transitive verb

1a : 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

2 : annoy, irritate

rub elbows or rub shoulders

: to associate closely : mingle

rub one's nose in

: to bring forcefully or repeatedly to one's attention

rub the wrong way

: antagonize, irritate

rub

noun

Definition of rub (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : 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

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 More Example Sentences Learn More about rub

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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 Web: Verb

Designers and creative directors like Karim Rashid, Stefano Seletti, Barnaba Fornasetti and Guffram-owner Charley Vezza rubbed shoulders with Angela Missoni, Gaia and Beatrice Trussardi, Tamu McPherson and Roberta Armani, to name a few. — Max Maeckler, Vogue, "Yoox and Toiletpaper Magazine Sent Out 7 Different Dress Codes For a Rager Dubbed the “Confusion Party”," 12 Apr. 2019 The region is economically diverse, tracts of megamansions rubbing shoulders with neighborhoods of dilapidated low-slung bungalows. — Kyle Swenson, chicagotribune.com, "XXXTentacion: The nasty, brutish and short life of the chart-topping rapper," 20 June 2018 Take your time while rubbing the cleanser into your skin, making sure to cover your whole face. — Baze Mpinja, Marie Claire, "Have Sensitive Skin? Do These 4 Things Before Bed," 8 Mar. 2019 Throughout the airy lair, uptown luxury rubs shoulders with downtown flair. — Alina Cho, ELLE Decor, "Uptown Glamour Goes Downtown in a Bold West Village Pad," 22 Feb. 2019 To scrub out deep stains, borrow this clever cutting board-cleaning trick: Cut a lemon in half, dip in salt, and rub on the affected area. — Taysha Murtaugh, Country Living, "Butcher-Block Countertops: Pros, Cons, and Everything Else You Should Know," 15 Jan. 2019 Meanwhile, pat steaks dry with a paper towel, then rub with paprika and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper; shake off any excess. — Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, "Smoked Paprika Steak and Lentils with Spinach," 19 Dec. 2018 Color the skin flaps with red, and rub on some fake blood to make things look seriously disgusting. — Zoë Weiner, Teen Vogue, "The Scariest Halloween Makeup Tutorials," 8 Oct. 2018 The parasite can then get rubbed into the open wound or get into the body if someone touches their mouth or eyes afterward. — Jennifer Earl, Fox News, "Blood-sucking 'kissing bugs' spreading dangerous parasitic disease in US, health officials warn," 24 Aug. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Get ahead of the rub by wearing these $12 anti-chafe bands. — Mona Gohara, Good Housekeeping, "How to Prevent and Treat That Annoying Rash Between Your Thighs," 6 July 2018 But The Bib treats chicken with respect: fat birds with skin turned shades of bronze and gold in the smoker, crunchy from the rosy rub of salt, pepper and spice. — Mike Sutter, San Antonio Express-News, "52 Weeks of BBQ: The Big Bib BBQ," 19 Jan. 2018 Season both sides with salt and pepper and a rub of oil. — Multiple Authors, House Beautiful, "The Sea Grill's Grilled Day Boat Sea Scallops," 1 May 2010 And that's the rub: That knee-jerk conjecture takes place out of context. — Jill Kiedaisch, Popular Mechanics, "Study Shows Parachutes Are Totally Worthless," 17 Dec. 2018 Place pork on baking sheet and rub with spice mixture. — Kate Merker, Country Living, "Oven-Roasted Pulled Pork with Sweet-and-Spicy Sauce," 10 Aug. 2018 Because kids will stay healthier longer.’’ Ah, but there’s the rub. — Sam Donnellon, Philly.com, "Elbow injuries - and surgery - affect high school pitchers more than anyone else," 9 July 2018 Pat pork dry with paper towel and rub with garlic mixture. — Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, "Dill-Crusted Pork and Farro Salad," 11 June 2018 But the rub is that neither of his demands — either for $5 billion in border wall funding or for a shutdown of the ports of entry between the US and Mexico — are being taken very seriously. — Amanda Sakuma, Vox, "Trump threatens to shut down the border for the third time in three months," 29 Dec. 2018

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.