WordGarden.iorub
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /rˈʌb/
US
- /ˈrəb/
Meanings
Verb
to move a hand, cloth, or surface back and forth against something with pressure or friction
Noun
an act of rubbing, especially one meant to soothe, warm, or relieve a part of the body
a difficulty, catch, or awkward problem
Beyond the definition
To rub something is to press on it and move your hand or another object across it again and again. You might rub your hands together to get warm or rub polish onto a table to make it shine. But "rub" is not always gentle. Someone's manner or a comment can "rub you the wrong way," which means it annoys you. Think of sandpaper on wood: sometimes this action smooths a surface, and sometimes it creates friction.
This action creates heat and wear, which can help with cleaning, polishing, or even starting a fire. It can also describe a gentle, comforting touch, like a mother rubbing her child's back. The phrase "rub elbows with" means to spend time with people, often people who are famous or important, as if you were close together in a crowded room.
The word "rub" is used for both gentle physical contact and unpleasant social feelings. At its core, it means applying pressure while moving a hand or object across a surface. This can be literal, such as rubbing a stain with a cloth ("She rubbed vigorously at the wine stain"), or figurative, as in "His arrogant tone really rubbed me the wrong way," meaning his behavior caused irritation.
Friction sits at the center of the idea. That force can be useful, as when you rub a match against a striker to make a spark, or rub silver to make it shine. The word has also long been connected with smoothing or removing something, which is why "rub out" can mean to erase or remove.
Beyond the verb, the word also works as a noun. In Hamlet, the phrase "there's the rub" means there is a difficulty, a catch, or a hidden problem. People still use this today when they want to point out the real trouble in a situation.
The word also appears in social expressions. To "rub elbows with" someone means to mix with them socially, often in important or fashionable groups. Whether you are polishing a surface, easing a sore muscle, or talking about a hidden problem, the word usually suggests contact, movement, and the effect one thing has on another.
Examples
- 1
Cold hands
She rubbed her cold hands together to warm them up.
- 2
Tired reaction
He rubbed his eyes and looked at the clock again.
- 3
Skin care
Rub the cream into your skin before you go outside.
- Patternrub + substance into + surface
spread it by pressing and moving your hand
- 4
Clothing discomfort
The back of my shoe keeps rubbing against my heel.
- Patternrub against + surface
press and move against it again and again
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Cleaning
That red mark should rub off with a little soap and water.
- Phraserub off
come off when you rub it
- 6
Social influence
His bad mood started to rub off on everyone else.
- Patternrub off on + person/group
start to affect them so they become similar
- 7
Unkind reminder
She kept talking about her promotion and really rubbed it in.
- Phraserub it in
keep reminding someone of something that makes them feel bad
- 8
Social circles
I met a lot of writers when I was rubbing shoulders with the media crowd in London.
- Phraserub shoulders with + people
spend time with important or well-known people
- 9
Personal annoyance
His sarcastic jokes really rub me the wrong way.
- Patternrub + person the wrong way
annoy that person
See also
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- rubnounverb
Forms
- rubbing-ing formverbnoun
- rubbedpast tenseverbnoun
- rubsverbnoun