rub
Third Person
rubs
Present Participle
rubbing
Past Tense
rubbed
Past Participle
rubbed
1
to apply pressure to a surface with back and forth or circular motions
transitive
- She decided to rub the sore muscles on her shoulders after a long day at work.
- The cook instructed the students to rub the seasoning evenly over the meat for the best flavor.
- To ease the tension, she began to rub her temples in slow, circular motions.
- The child rubbed his eyes sleepily as he struggled to stay awake.
- He rubbed his forehead in frustration as he tried to solve the difficult puzzle.
2
to cause something to move back and forth against another object or surface and create friction
transitive
- She rubbed the cloth against the window to remove the streaks and dirt.
- He rubbed the eraser vigorously against the paper to correct the mistake.
- She rubbed the balloon against her hair to generate static electricity.
- He rubbed the sandpaper against the rough edges of the wood to smooth them out.