rug
gb/ɹˈʌɡ/ us/ɹˈʌɡ/
A2
English
~ 8300
szőnyeg, tupé, pléd, takaró
NOUN
A2
1
szőnyeg
A2
Usage pattern:
a [rug] on [the floor]
We put a bright blue rug in the living room to make it feel warmer.
Egy élénkkék szőnyeget tettünk a nappaliba, hogy melegebb hangulatú legyen.
Please wipe your feet on the rug before you come in.
Kérlek, töröld le a cipődet a szőnyegen, mielőtt bejössz.
The dog is sleeping on the rug by the fireplace.
She spilled coffee on the rug and had to clean it right away.
They replaced the old carpet with wooden floors and a few small rugs.
Learner examples
There is a red rug on the floor.
Egy piros szőnyeg van a padlón.
The baby is playing on the rug.
A baba a szőnyegen játszik.
I vacuum the rug every week.
We bought a new rug for the bedroom.
The cat likes to sit on the rug.
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "rug" and "carpet". A carpet usually covers the whole floor and is fixed down, while a rug is smaller and can be moved. Another mistake is calling very thin door covers "rugs"; these are usually called "mats".
Meaning
small carpet-like floor covering
Collocations
area rug
|throw rug
|Persian rug
|shag rug
|bathroom rug
|vacuum the rug
Synonyms
carpet (Often larger and fixed to the floor; in many contexts the words overlap, but carpet is usually wall-to-wall while a rug is smaller and movable.)
|
mat (Usually smaller, thinner, and more functional (for wiping feet, exercise, etc.) than a rug.)
Antonyms
bare floor (Describes a floor without any covering like a rug or carpet.)
Themes
home
|daily life
|objects
|housing
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A thick piece of cloth you put on part of the floor to cover it or make it warm and comfortable.
A thick piece of woven or tufted material used to cover part of a floor, usually smaller and not fixed down like wall-to-wall carpet.
NOUN
C1
INFORMAL
2
tupé
C1
Usage pattern:
[someone] wears a [rug]
Everyone was surprised when he admitted that the thick black hair was actually a rug.
Mindenki meglepődött, amikor beismerte, hogy az a dús fekete haj valójában tupé volt.
The comedian made a joke about politicians wearing bad rugs on TV.
A humorista azzal viccelődött, hogy a politikusok milyen borzalmas tupékat hordanak a tévében.
He finally stopped wearing a rug and decided to shave his head instead.
That actor’s rug is so obvious once you notice the line on his forehead.
Learner examples
He is not really young; he wears a rug.
Valójában nem is olyan fiatal; tupét hord.
When he takes off his rug, you can see he is quite bald.
Amikor leveszi a tupéját, látszik, hogy eléggé kopasz.
Some men feel shy about losing hair and buy a rug.
His rug looks very different from his real hair.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this word is neutral, but it is informal and can sound joking or unkind. In serious or polite conversation, "hairpiece" or "toupee" is better. Do not use "rug" to describe long costume wigs or women's wigs; it is mainly used about men's hairpieces for baldness.
Meaning
informal word for hairpiece
Collocations
wear a rug
|take off his rug
|cheap rug
|fake-looking rug
|lose his rug
Synonyms
toupee (More standard term; slightly formal or technical compared to the slangy feel of "rug".)
|
hairpiece (Broad, neutral word for artificial hair; less specifically male and less joking than "rug".)
Antonyms
bald (Describes having little or no hair on the head, the condition the rug is meant to hide.)
Themes
appearance
|daily life
|body
|clothing
|daily_life
Definition
An informal word for a hairpiece or toupee that a person wears to hide a bald head.
An informal term for a hairpiece or toupee worn by a person, usually a man, to cover a bald or thinning head.
NOUN
B2
3
Usage pattern:
a [rug] over [someone/something]
She tucked a woollen rug around her grandmother’s knees before they set off in the wheelchair.
Indulás előtt egy gyapjúplédet igazított a kerekesszékben ülő nagymamája térde köré.
They spread a picnic rug on the grass and unpacked their lunch.
Leterítettek egy piknikplédet a fűre, és kipakolták az ebédjüket.
The horse was standing in the field with a thick winter rug on.
He keeps a travel rug in the car for long journeys in cold weather.
Learner examples
She put a rug over her legs because it was cold.
Egy plédet terített a lábára, mert hideg volt.
They sat on a rug and ate lunch in the park.
Egy pléden ültek, és ebédeltek a parkban.
The horse has a blue rug on its back.
There is a small rug in the car to keep us warm.
Common mistake:
Learners may only know "rug" as a floor covering and not realize it can also mean a warm cover for legs, picnics, or animals. In some countries this sense is more common in British or Australian English than in American English, where "blanket" or "throw" may be used instead.
Meaning
warm cover for legs or animals
Collocations
lap rug
|travel rug
|picnic rug
|horse rug
|woollen rug
Synonyms
blanket (More general word; not all blankets are used like rugs for legs or horses, but often interchangeable in casual speech.)
|
throw (A light decorative blanket used on a sofa or chair; similar when used to cover someone’s legs.)
Antonyms
uncovered (Describes legs or an animal without a warm covering like a rug.)
Themes
travel
|animals
|daily life
|daily_life
Definition
A thick cloth you put over your legs or over an animal, like a horse, to keep warm.
A thick piece of material used as a cover to keep a person’s legs or body warm, or to cover an animal such as a horse, often when outdoors or while traveling.
Grammar
Dictionary form
rug
IPA
GB/ɹˈʌɡ/
US/ɹˈʌɡ/
Syllables & stress
rug (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (rug)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: rug
- Plural: rugs
Word family
Forms
rugs
noun
Related words
rugged
adjective B2
Advanced or less common
ruggedly
adverb
ruggedness
noun
Expressions
cut a rug
1/kˈʌt ə ɹˈʌɡ/
idiom
informal
dance in a lively way
To dance in a lively, energetic, and often skillful way, usually in a happy or fun situation.
Examples
- The band started playing and everyone got up to cut a rug.
- At weddings he’s always ready to cut a rug on the dance floor.
- They really cut a rug at the party last night.
pull the rug out from under someone
1/pˈʊl ðə ɹˈʌɡ ˈaʊt fɹˈʌm ˈʌndɚ sˈʌmwˌʌn/
idiom
suddenly remove support from someone
To suddenly stop helping or supporting someone so that they have big problems or cannot continue what they are doing.
Examples
- The bank pulled the rug out from under the company by cancelling its loan with no warning.
- When her partner quit the project, it really pulled the rug out from under her plans.
- Voters felt the government had pulled the rug out from under them by changing the rules overnight.
sweep something under the rug
1/swˈip sˈʌmθɪŋ ˈʌndɚ ðə ɹˈʌɡ/
idiom
hide a problem or mistake
To try to hide a problem, mistake, or bad fact so that people do not see it, instead of fixing it.
Examples
- The company tried to sweep the data breach under the rug, but the story reached the news.
- You can’t just sweep these safety issues under the rug; someone could get hurt.
- For years the family swept his drinking problem under the rug instead of talking about it.