Pronunciation: /tʌɡ/

Definitions of tug

noun a strong pull or haul

Example Sentences

A1 The child gave a tug on the rope to try and pull the toy closer.

A2 She felt a tug on her sleeve and turned around to see who was trying to get her attention.

B1 The fisherman felt a strong tug on his fishing line and knew he had caught something big.

B2 As the tug of war intensified, both teams strained to pull the rope towards their side.

C1 The tug of the ocean currents made it difficult for the sailors to navigate the ship.

C2 There was a slight tug of hesitation in her voice as she asked him to reconsider his decision.

verb to pull with force

Example Sentences

A1 The child tugs on his mother's sleeve to get her attention.

A2 She tugged at the rope, trying to pull the heavy object closer.

B1 The dog tugged on the leash, eager to explore the park.

B2 The fishermen had to tug hard to pull the net full of fish onto the boat.

C1 The workers tugged the heavy machinery into place using a pulley system.

C2 The team had to tug the sled up the steep mountain slope during the expedition.

Examples of tug in a Sentence

formal The sailors used a tugboat to guide the large ship into the harbor.

informal The kids had a tug-of-war contest at the school picnic.

slang I had to give the stubborn dog a little tug on the leash to get him to move.

figurative She felt a tug at her heartstrings when she saw the old photograph.

Grammatical Forms of tug

past tense

tugged

plural

tugs

comparative

tugger

superlative

tuggiest

present tense

tug

future tense

will tug

perfect tense

have tugged

continuous tense

is tugging

singular

tug

positive degree

tug

infinitive

to tug

gerund

tugging

participle

tugging

Origin and Evolution of tug

First Known Use: 1250 year
Language of Origin: Old English
Story behind the word: The word 'tug' is believed to have originated from Middle English 'tugge' or 'tuggen', which in turn came from Old English 'tycgan' meaning to pull or draw.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'tug' has retained its basic meaning of pulling or drawing, but has also been extended to describe a quick, sharp pull or a struggle between two opposing forces.