rubbed, rubbing

verb

1 (I, T) to move your hand, a cloth etc over a surface while pressing against it: Kolchinsky nodded and then rubbed his eyes wearily. | She began rubbing her hair with a towel. | You'll have to rub harder if you want to get it clean.

2 (T) to make something press against something else and move it around: rub sth against/on: Celia's cat purred loudly, rubbing against her legs. | rub sth together: We tried to make a fire by rubbing two pieces of wood together.

3 (I) to move around while pressing against another surface, often causing pain, damage etc

(+ against/on): These shoes are too tight - they keep rubbing on my heels.

4 (transitive always + adv/prep) to put a substance into or onto the surface of something by pressing it and moving it about with your hand, a cloth etc: rub sth on/into/over/ etc: Can you rub some sun cream on my back for me, please?

5 rub it in informal to remind someone about something they want to forget, especially because they are embarrassed about it: Look, I know I should have been more careful, but there's no need to keep rubbing it in.

6 rub shoulders with informal to spend time with rich or famous people: As a reporter he gets to rub shoulders with all the big names in politics and the media.

7 rub salt into the wound informal to make a bad situation even worse for someone

8 rub sb's nose in it/in the dirt informal to keep reminding someone about something they did wrong or failed to do, especially in order to punish them

9 rub sb up the wrong way informal to annoy someone by the way you behave towards them: I don't know what it is about Paula, but she really rubs me up the wrong way.

10 be rubbing your hands informal to be pleased because something has happened which gives you an advantage, especially because something bad has happened to someone else

11 not have two pennies/halfpennies to rub together BrE humorous to not have any money

rub along phrasal verb (intransitive + with/together) BrE to have a friendly relationship with someone rub down phrasal verb (T)

1 (rub something down) to make a surface dry or smooth by rubbing it with a cloth or sandpaper

2 (rub someone down)

a) to massage (=rub their muscles) someone, especially after hard exercise

b) (rub someone/something down) to dry a person or animal by rubbing them with a cloth, towel etc

—see also: rubdown rub off phrasal verb (rub (something) off)

1 (I, T) to remove something from a surface by rubbing it, or to come off a surface because of being rubbed: Be careful not to rub off the paint.

2 (I) if a feeling, quality, or habit rubs off on someone, they start to have it because they are with another person who has it

(+ on): His enthusiasm shines through and seems to rub off on everyone else. rub sb/sth out phrasal verb (T)

1 BrE to remove writing, a picture etc from a surface by rubbing it with a piece of rubber, a cloth etc; erase (2) especially AmE: You might as well rub the whole thing out and start over.

2 AmE old-fashioned to murder someone

2 noun

1 give sb/sth a rub to rub something or massage 2 (1) someone for a short time: Give the table a good rub with a damp cloth.

2 there's/here's the rub used when saying that a particular problem is the reason why a situation is so difficult