ALL meanings of rub
rub
R r - verb with object rub to subject the surface of (a thing or person) to pressure and friction, as in cleaning, smoothing, polishing, coating, massaging, or soothing: to rub a table top with wax polish; to rub the entire back area. 1
- verb with object rub to move (something) back and forth or with a rotary motion, as against or along another surface: to rub the cloth over the glass pane. 1
- verb with object rub to spread or apply (something) with pressure and friction over something else or a person: to rub lotion on her chapped hands. 1
- verb with object rub to move (two things) with pressure and friction over or back and forth over each other (often followed by together): He rubbed his hands together. 1
- verb with object rub to mark, polish, force, move, etc. (something) by pressure and friction (often followed by over, in, or into). 1
- verb with object rub to remove by pressure and friction; erase (often followed by off or out). 1
- verb without object rub to exert pressure and friction on something. 1
- verb without object rub to move with pressure against something. 1
- verb without object rub to admit of being rubbed in a specified manner: Chalk rubs off easily. 1
- verb without object rub Chiefly British. to proceed, continue in a course, or keep going with effort or difficulty (usually followed by on, along, or through): He manages to rub along. 1
- noun rub an act or instance of rubbing: an alcohol rub. 1
- noun rub something that annoys or irritates one's feelings, as a sharp criticism, a sarcastic remark, or the like: to resent rubs concerning one's character. 1
- noun rub an annoying experience or circumstance. 1
- noun rub an obstacle, impediment, or difficulty: We'd like to travel, but the rub is that we have no money. 1
- noun rub a rough or abraded area caused by rubbing. 1
- idioms rub rub it in, Informal. to emphasize or reiterate something unpleasant in order to tease or annoy: The situation was embarrassing enough without having you rub it in. 1
- idioms rub rub salt in / into someone's wounds. salt1 (def 23). 1
- idioms rub rub the wrong way, to irritate; offend; annoy: a manner that seemed to rub everyone the wrong way. 1
- idioms rub rub up, British Informal. to refresh one's memory of (a subject, language, etc.). 1
- transitive verb rub apply pressure with movement 1
- noun rub scrub with cloth 1
- noun rub massage 1
- noun rub problem, catch 1
- intransitive verb rub shoes, etc.: hurt skin 1
- transitive verb rub shoes, etc.: hurt 1
- transitive verb rub move with pressure 1
- transitive verb rub spread with pressure 1
- intransitive verb rub mix fat into dry ingredients 1
- verb transitive rub to move (one's hand, a cloth, etc.) over, or spread or apply (polish, etc.) on or over, a surface or object in this way 0
- verb transitive rub to move (a thing) against something else, or move (things) over each other with pressure and friction 0
- verb transitive rub to apply pressure and friction to, for cleaning, polishing, smoothing, etc. 0
- verb transitive rub to put into a specified condition by applying pressure and friction 0
- verb transitive rub to make sore or chafed by rubbing 0
- verb transitive rub to force, cause to go, etc. (in, into, etc.) by rubbing 0
- verb transitive rub to remove by rubbing (out, off, away, etc.) 0
- intransitive verb rub to move with pressure and friction (on, against, etc.) 0
- intransitive verb rub to rub something; exert pressure and friction on something 0
- intransitive verb rub to admit of being rubbed or removed by rubbing 0
- intransitive verb rub to arouse anger or irritation 0
- noun rub the act or an instance of rubbing; specif., a massage 0
- noun rub an obstacle, hindrance, or difficulty 0
- noun rub a place or spot that has been rubbed until rough or sore 0
- noun rub something that irritates, annoys, offends, etc., as a jeer or rebuke 0
- verb rub If you rub a part of your body, you move your hand or fingers backwards and forwards over it while pressing firmly. 0
- verb rub If you rub against a surface or rub a part of your body against a surface, you move it backwards and forwards while pressing it against the surface. 0
- verb rub If you rub an object or a surface, you move a cloth backward and forward over it in order to clean or dry it. 0
- verb rub If you rub a substance into a surface or rub something such as dirt from a surface, you spread it over the surface or remove it from the surface using your hand or something such as a cloth. 0
- verb rub If you rub two things together or if they rub together, they move backwards and forwards, pressing against each other. 0
- verb rub If something you are wearing or holding rubs, it makes you sore because it keeps moving backwards and forwards against your skin. 0
- singular noun rub Rub is used in expressions such as there's the rub and the rub is when you are mentioning a difficulty that makes something hard or impossible to achieve. 0