verb / noun

tug

TUG/tʌɡ/

A strong pulling action.

The woman tugs hard on the rope to move the heavy sack.

A woman gives a stubborn rope a strong quick pull to shift a heavy sack slightly across the ground; taut rope, bent elbows and braced feet convey a tug.

Etymology

tugOld Englishto pull, handle roughly, drag

Old English teohan combined pulling with rough handling and dragging. Tug preserves that forceful side of pulling: the emphasis is on an exertion of force, not simply moving something toward oneself.

In context

ThinkTech Hawaii4:31

when you pull your belly button in to activate your transverse abdominis, it does tug on your diaphragm

Drop the Mic on Back Pain, Hawaii! (Movement Matters)

More examples

Give the drawer a firm tug to open it.
He tugged at his boot until it came off.
The dog keeps tugging on its leash.

Forms

tug · tugs · tugged · tugging

Similar words

pull: The general term, without implying particular force or suddenness.
yank: Emphasizes a sudden, forceful pull rather than steady effort.
haul: Emphasizes moving something heavy or bulky with sustained effort.