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 WebKathleen Suico, Allure, 13 Apr. 2024
These painful lumps, however, can burst and continuously drain fluid, have a particular smell, and show up in places where skin rubs on skin, like under the arms and breasts as well as in the folds of the groin and butt.
—Ade Onibada, SELF, 12 Apr. 2024
The local news outlet said that the man allegedly asked the teen to rub lotion and shower together.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News, 12 Apr. 2024
Wayne rubbed Mary Jo’s fingers and looked into her eyes.
—Eli Saslow Erin Schaff Eli Saslow, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Topical menthol rubs work similarly by distracting nerves from specific sore spots.
—Hilary Tetenbaum, Detroit Free Press, 8 Apr. 2024
If the zipper is stuck due to corrosion or rust, soaking a cotton swab in vinegar and gently rubbing it along the affected area can help loosen the corrosion and free the zipper.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
The lens sometimes rubs the viewer’s nose in imperfection: Tom’s wrinkles, Marge’s stray hairs.
—Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
Gospel, Afrobeats, 1970s funk, and Sudanese soul rub shoulders on songs full of joyful rhythms and diaspora stories.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 5 Apr. 2024
Journal Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2024
Heat up your Valentine's Day with Wingstop's Hot Honey dry rub wings, available for a limited time starting Feb. 14, delivering sweet flavors with a bold kick of cayenne pepper and ancho chili.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
The Ravens still dominate with the running game, but there are more passing concepts such as flood and wheel routes, delays over the middle, rubs and clearouts.
—Mike Preston, Baltimore Sun, 26 Jan. 2024
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
Verb
But in the Best Way Tester Feedback: Han is pretty picky about body sunscreens because so many feel heavy and sticky on the skin, but this one feels light and airy, even after multiple layers and rounds of rubbing.
—Kathleen Suico, Allure, 13 Apr. 2024
These painful lumps, however, can burst and continuously drain fluid, have a particular smell, and show up in places where skin rubs on skin, like under the arms and breasts as well as in the folds of the groin and butt.
—Ade Onibada, SELF, 12 Apr. 2024
The local news outlet said that the man allegedly asked the teen to rub lotion and shower together.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News, 12 Apr. 2024
Wayne rubbed Mary Jo’s fingers and looked into her eyes.
—Eli Saslow Erin Schaff Eli Saslow, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Topical menthol rubs work similarly by distracting nerves from specific sore spots.
—Hilary Tetenbaum, Detroit Free Press, 8 Apr. 2024
If the zipper is stuck due to corrosion or rust, soaking a cotton swab in vinegar and gently rubbing it along the affected area can help loosen the corrosion and free the zipper.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
The lens sometimes rubs the viewer’s nose in imperfection: Tom’s wrinkles, Marge’s stray hairs.
—Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
Gospel, Afrobeats, 1970s funk, and Sudanese soul rub shoulders on songs full of joyful rhythms and diaspora stories.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 5 Apr. 2024
Noun
Green's seasonings and rubs incorporate many local ingredients.
—Journal Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2024
Heat up your Valentine's Day with Wingstop's Hot Honey dry rub wings, available for a limited time starting Feb. 14, delivering sweet flavors with a bold kick of cayenne pepper and ancho chili.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
The Ravens still dominate with the running game, but there are more passing concepts such as flood and wheel routes, delays over the middle, rubs and clearouts.
—Mike Preston, Baltimore Sun, 26 Jan. 2024
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
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.
Articles Related to rub
Dictionary Entries Near rub
Cite this Entry
“Rub.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rub. Accessed 23 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share