bear hug

See synonyms for bear hug on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a strong, tight embrace: My father gave me a big bear hug as soon as I stepped out of the taxi.

  2. Wrestling. a hold in which one contestant locks both arms around the other in order to make the opponent fall to the mat.

Origin of bear hug

1
First recorded in 1920–25

Other definitions for bear-hug (2 of 2)

bear-hug
[ bair-huhg ]

verb (used with object),bear-hugged, bear-hug·ging.
  1. to greet with or hold in a bear hug: eager fans bear-hugging the victorious team.

Origin of bear-hug

2
First recorded in 1955–60

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use bear hug in a sentence

  • Away went Marjorie, after bestowing another tumultuous bear-hug on her mother.

    Marjorie's Busy Days | Carolyn Wells
  • Dear Davy, I wish you were here to-night, to catch me up in that great bear hug of yours.

    The Wasted Generation | Owen Johnson
  • If Charles stepped inside it, the man would grab him in a bear hug and knife him in the back.

    The Syndic | C.M. Kornbluth
  • "You know we care to go," laughed Mary Jane and she jumped up and gave him a big bear hug.

    Mary Jane--Her Visit | Clara Ingram Judson
  • A great, happy "bear-hug" almost choked him, as Phil's arms were clasped about his neck.

    The Story of Dago | Annie Fellows-Johnston

British Dictionary definitions for bear hug

bear hug

noun
  1. a wrestling hold in which the arms are locked tightly round an opponent's chest and arms

  2. any similar tight embrace

  1. commerce an approach to the board of one company by another to indicate that an offer is to be made for their shares

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012