tug
gb/tˈʌɡ/ us/tˈʌɡ/
A2
English
~ 1400
rángat, megránt, rántás, vontatóhajó
VERB
A2
1
Usage pattern:
to tug [something]
She tugged the door until it finally opened.
Addig rángatta az ajtót, míg végül kinyílt.
He tugged at the dog's leash to stop it from running.
Megrántotta a kutya pórázát, hogy megállítsa.
The fisherman tugged the net out of the water.
I had to tug my suitcase through the thick carpet.
The boy tugged on his mother's coat to get her attention.
Learner examples
I tug the rope to make it move.
Megrángatom a kötelet, hogy megmozduljon.
She tugs my arm when she wants to talk.
Rángatja a karomat, amikor beszélni akar.
He tugs the bag to open it.
We tug the boat to the shore.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'tug' with 'drag'; 'tug' is usually a short, forceful pull, while 'drag' is a longer movement.
Meaning
Pull something sharply or strongly
Collocations
tug a rope
|tug hard
|tug at sleeve
|tug free
Synonyms
pull (More general term; 'tug' often implies shorter, sharper movement.)
Antonyms
push (Opposite physical action of moving something away instead of toward.)
Themes
daily life
|movement
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To pull something hard, quickly, or many times.
To pull something suddenly, quickly, or with force, often repeatedly or in short bursts.
NOUN
A2
2
rántás
B1
She gave the rope a sharp tug.
Egy erőset rántott a kötélen.
I felt a tug on my sleeve.
Rántást éreztem az ingujjamon.
With one tug, he opened the drawer.
The dog gave a sudden tug and ran off.
Learner examples
He gave the rope a tug.
Rántott egyet a kötélen.
I felt a tug on my arm.
Rántást éreztem a karomon.
She gave the bag a tug.
Meaning
A quick, forceful pull
Collocations
give a tug
|feel a tug
|a gentle tug
Synonyms
pull (General term; 'tug' suggests more force and brevity.)
Themes
daily life
|movement
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A quick and strong pull.
A short, strong pull on something.
NOUN
B1
3
vontatóhajó
B2
The tug guided the large ship into port.
A vontatóhajó bekísérte a nagy hajót a kikötőbe.
A tug was sent to tow the broken vessel.
Vontatóhajót küldtek a meghibásodott hajó elvontatására.
The harbor was busy with several tugs moving ships.
Learner examples
The tug pulled the big ship.
A vontatóhajó húzta a nagy hajót.
A tug helped the ship into the harbor.
Egy vontatóhajó segített bejuttatni a hajót a kikötőbe.
We saw a tug in the port.
Meaning
Small boat for moving ships
Collocations
tug boat
|harbor tug
|tow by tug
Synonyms
towboat (Mostly used in American English; similar meaning.)
Themes
transportation
|maritime
|travel
Definition
A small strong boat that moves big ships in harbors.
A small, powerful boat used for pulling or pushing ships in a harbor or through narrow waters.
Grammar
Dictionary form
tug
IPA
GB/tˈʌɡ/
US/tˈʌɡ/
Syllables & stress
tug (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (tug)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: tug
- Plural: tugs
Verb
- Base: tug
- 3rd Person Singular: tugs
- Present Participle: tugging
- Past: tugged
Word family
Forms
tugs
noun
tugging
verb
tugged
verb
Related words
tugboat
noun
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: tugging Verb
- Irregular past: tugged Verb
Expressions
tug at [something]
1/tˈʌɡ ˈæt sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Pull something gently or repeatedly
To pull something gently many times.
Examples
- The child kept tugging at my sleeve.
- She tugged at the blanket until it came loose.
tug at someone's heartstrings
1/tˈʌɡ ˈæt sˈʌmwˌʌnz hˈɛɹtstɹɪŋz/
idiom
Make someone feel sympathy or sadness
To make someone feel very sad or sympathetic.
Examples
- The movie really tugged at my heartstrings.
- The sight of the abandoned puppy tugged at her heartstrings.
tug of war
1/tˈʌɡ əv wˈɔɹ/
fixed phrase
Rope-pulling contest between teams
A game where two teams pull on opposite ends of a rope until one team wins.
Examples
- We played tug of war at the picnic.
- The children enjoyed a game of tug of war.