Need another word that means the same as “rub”? Find 36 synonyms and 30 related words for “rub” in this overview.
The synonyms of “Rub” are: chafe, fray, fret, scratch, itch, massage, knead, apply, put on, smear, smooth, spread, work in, cream in, clean, mop, sponge, swab, pinch, scrape, abrade, hang-up, hitch, snag, wipe, polish, buffing, problem, difficulty, trouble, drawback, hindrance, obstacle, obstruction, impediment
According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “rub” as a noun can have the following definitions:
buffing | An implement consisting of soft material mounted on a block; used for polishing (as in manicuring. |
difficulty | A condition or state of affairs almost beyond one’s ability to deal with and requiring great effort to bear or overcome. Had difficulty walking. |
drawback | A feature that renders something less acceptable; a disadvantage or problem. They had been complaining of difficulties in getting quick reimbursement of duty drawback. |
hang-up | An unforeseen obstacle. |
hindrance | Any obstruction that impedes or is burdensome. A hindrance to the development process. |
hitch | An act of hitch hiking. Everything went without a hitch. |
impediment | Something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress. A serious impediment to scientific progress. |
massage | The rubbing and kneading of muscles and joints of the body with the hands, especially to relieve tension or pain. Massage can ease tiredness. |
obstacle | Something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted. The poverty of a district is an obstacle to good education. |
obstruction | The physical condition of blocking or filling a passage with an obstruction. Walkers could proceed with the minimum of obstruction. |
polish | A preparation used in polishing. They performed with great polish. |
problem | An inquiry starting from given conditions to investigate or demonstrate a fact, result, or law. Motivation of staff can also be a problem. |
snag | A rent or tear in fabric caused by a snag. Keep an emery board handy in case of nail snags. |
trouble | A source of difficulty. The kid had been no trouble up to now. |
wipe | A cinematographic effect in which an existing picture seems to be wiped out by a new one as the boundary between them moves across the screen. Bert was giving the machine a final wipe over with an oily rag. |
According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “rub” as a verb can have the following definitions:
abrade | Rub hard or scrub. It was a landscape slowly abraded by a fine stinging dust. |
apply | Apply oneself to. Please apply yourself to your homework. |
chafe | Cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations. Her arms chafed where the rope bit into them. |
clean | Be cleanable. The boys cleaned the sandwich platters. |
cream in | Put on cream, as on one’s face or body. |
fray | (of a male deer) rub (a bush or small tree) with the head in order to remove the velvet from newly formed antlers, or to mark territory during the rut. The friction frayed the sleeve. |
fret | Provide a musical instrument with frets. She fretted about the cost of groceries. |
itch | Cause to perceive an itch. Paul was itching to get outside. |
knead | Make bread or pottery by kneading flour or clay. She kneaded his back. |
massage | Give a massage to. The accounts had been massaged to suit the government. |
mop | To wash or wipe with or as if with a mop. She mopped the floor and cleaned out two cupboards. |
pinch | Make ridges into by pinching together. If I scraped and pinched a bit I might manage. |
put on | Attribute or give. |
scrape | Bend the knees and bow in a servile manner. For some years he scraped a living as a tutor. |
scratch | Play a record using the scratch technique. Banks seem prepared to scratch stabilization charges. |
smear | Stain by smearing or daubing with a dirty substance. Smear the wall with paint. |
smooth | Make smooth or smoother as if by rubbing. A conference would be held to smooth the way for the establishment of the provisional government. |
sponge | Give a decorative effect to a painted surface by applying a different shade of paint with a sponge. I ll go and sponge this orange juice off my dress. |
spread | Cover by spreading something over. The Marines spread out across the docks. |
swab | Wash with a swab or a mop. The crew were swabbing down the decks. |
work in | Exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity. |
caress | Touch or stroke lightly in a loving or endearing manner. The caresses of the breeze played over his face. |
chafe | (with reference to a part of the body) make or become sore by rubbing against something. The collar chafed his neck. |
dab | A brief application of a piece of absorbent material to a surface. Apply concealer with light dabs. |
delete | Remove (a product, especially a recording) from the catalogue of those available for purchase. If one important gene is deleted from an animal s DNA other genes can stand in. |
discomfort | A state of unease, worry, or embarrassment. His remarks caused her discomfort. |
efface | Remove completely from recognition or memory. To efface oneself is not the easiest of duties which the teacher can undertake. |
encourage | Spur on. The intention is to encourage new writing talent. |
encouraged | Inspired with confidence. |
eradicate | Kill in large numbers. This disease has been eradicated from the world. |
erasable | Capable of being effaced. A signal too loud to be erasable in a single pass through the erase head. |
erase | Remove from memory or existence. The tape could be magnetically erased and reused. |
excise | Levy an excise tax on. The surgeon excised the tumor. |
expulsion | The action or process of forcing someone to leave a place. His expulsion from the union. |
expunge | Obliterate or remove completely (something unwanted or unpleasant. The kind of man that could expunge an unsatisfactory incident from his memory. |
fray | A noisy fight. As the temperature rose tempers frayed. |
friction | Effort expended in moving one object over another with pressure. A considerable amount of friction between father and son. |
fumble | An act of managing or dealing with something clumsily. He fumbled about in the dark but could not find her. |
irritation | An uncomfortable feeling of mental painfulness or distress. The minor irritations of life. |
itch | Be the site of or cause an itch. She is itching to start the project. |
itching | An irritating cutaneous sensation that produces a desire to scratch. |
massage | Give a massage to. She massaged his sore back. |
obliterate | Make invisible or indistinct; conceal or cover. The special stamp should be placed on the left hand side and not be used to obliterate the postage stamp. |
pat | Pat or squeeze fondly or playfully especially under the chin. He patted the bench beside him and I sat down. |
rap | Genre of African American music of the 1980s and 1990s in which rhyming lyrics are chanted to a musical accompaniment several forms of rap have emerged. Social services were smarting from an Ombudsman s rap. |
scratch | A mark or wound made by scratching. Tabitha wondered how long the woman had been scratching a living on the waterways. |
strike | A pitch that passes through the strike zone. Strike a medal. |
tap | Cut a female screw thread with a tap. The FBI was tapping the phone line of the suspected spy. |
touch | An act of touching someone or something. He touched back a cross field ball. |
wipe | Pass a swipe card over an electronic reader. Wipe the blackboard. |
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