rub
To move your hand or something else over a surface with some pressure.
To press and move your hand or another object back and forth against a surface, often to clean, polish, or soothe.
The action of moving something over a surface with pressure.
An act of pressing and moving something back and forth against a surface.
To take something off by moving over it with pressure.
To remove something from a surface by pressing and moving over it repeatedly.
A mix of spices that you put on meat or other food before cooking.
A mixture of spices and herbs applied to food by rubbing it onto the surface before cooking.
A small problem that makes something harder than expected.
A problem or obstacle that makes an otherwise good plan or situation difficult.
- Base: rub
- Base: rub
- 3rd Person Singular: rubs
- Present Participle: rubbing
- Past: rubbed
- Irregular present participle: rubbing Verb
- Irregular past: rubbed Verb
rub along
1Manage or coexist despite difficulties
To live or work together without serious problems, even if not perfectly.
- We just rub along together despite our differences.
- The two teams managed to rub along until the project was done.
rub elbows with
1Socialize with certain people
To meet and talk with important or famous people socially.
- At the gala, she rubbed elbows with celebrities.
- He enjoys rubbing elbows with politicians.
rub in
1Apply substance or emphasize someone's mistake
To put cream or another substance into skin by rubbing; or to keep talking about someone's mistake to make them feel bad.
- Rub in the lotion until it disappears.
- You don’t have to rub it in—I know I made a mistake.
rub out
1Erase marks or kill someone (slang)
To remove writing or marks by rubbing, or (in slang) to kill someone.
- Rub out the pencil lines before you ink the drawing.
- In old gangster movies, 'rub out' means to kill someone.
rub someone the wrong way
1Annoy someone unintentionally
To make someone feel annoyed without meaning to.
- His arrogant attitude rubbed me the wrong way.
- His jokes really rub me the wrong way sometimes.
- She tends to rub people the wrong way when she’s stressed.
- I think I rubbed her the wrong way when I disagreed.