rub as a noun: - 1
- 2
as a verb: - 1
- 2
- 3
rub
noun
1 rub
An unforeseen obstacle.
synonyms: hang-up, hitch, snag.
Roget 331:
friction,
attrition;
rubbing,
abrasion,
scraping
etc.
v.;
confrication†,
detrition,
contrition†,
affriction†,
abrasion,
arrosion†,
limature†,
frication†,
rub;
elbow grease;
rosin;
massage;
roughness
etc.
256.
rolling friction,
sliding friction,
starting friction.
... show more
Roget 704:
difficulty;
hardness
etc.
adj.;
impracticability
etc.
(impossibility)
471;
tough work,
hard work,
uphill work;
hard task,
Herculean task,
Augean task†;
task of Sisyphus,
Sisyphean labor,
tough job,
teaser,
rasper†,
dead lift.
dilemma,
embarrassment;
deadlock;
perplexity
etc.
(uncertainty)
475;
intricacy;
entanglement,
complexity
etc.
59;
cross fire;
awkwardness,
delicacy,
ticklish card to play,
knot,
Gordian knot,
dignus vindice nodus [Lat.],
net,
meshes,
maze;
coil
etc.
(convolution)
248;
crooked path;
involvement.
nice point,
delicate point,
subtle point,
knotty point;
vexed question,
vexata quaestio [Lat.],
poser;
puzzle
etc.
(riddle)
533;
paradox;
hard nut to crack,
nut to crack;
bone to pick,
crux,
pons asinorum [Lat.],
where the shoe pinches.
nonplus,
quandary,
strait,
pass,
pinch,
pretty pass,
stress,
brunt;
critical situation,
crisis;
trial,
rub,
emergency,
exigency,
scramble.
scrape,
hobble,
slough,
quagmire,
hot water,
hornet's nest;
sea of troubles,
peck of troubles;
pretty kettle of fish;
pickle,
stew,
imbroglio,
mess,
ado;
false position.
set fast,
stand,
standstill;
deadlock,
dead set.
fix,
horns of a dilemma,
cul de sac [Fr.];
hitch;
stumbling block
etc.
(hindrance)
706.
[difficult person]
crab;
curmudgeon.
... show more
Roget 735:
adversity,
evil
etc.
619;
failure
etc.
732;
bad luck,
ill luck,
evil luck,
adverse luck,
hard fortune,
hard hap,
hard luck,
hard lot;
frowns of fortune;
evil dispensation,
evil star,
evil genius†;
vicissitudes of life,
ups and downs of life,
broken fortunes;
hard case,
hard lines,
hard life;
sea of troubles;
peck of troubles;
hell upon earth;
slough of despond.
trouble,
hardship,
curse,
blight,
blast,
load,
pressure.
pressure of the times,
iron age,
evil day,
time out of joint;
hard times,
bad times,
sad times;
rainy day,
cloud,
dark cloud,
gathering clouds,
ill wind;
visitation,
infliction;
affliction
etc.
(painfulness)
830;
bitter pill;
care,
trial;
the sport of fortune.
mishap,
mischance,
misadventure,
misfortune;
disaster,
calamity,
catastrophe;
accident,
casualty,
cross,
reverse,
check,
contretemps,
rub;
backset†,
comedown,
setback [U.S.].
losing game;
falling
etc.
v.;
fall,
downfall;
ruination,
ruinousness;
undoing;
extremity;
ruin
etc.
(destruction)
162.
... show more
Roget 830:
painfulness
etc.
adj.;
trouble,
care
etc.
(pain)
828;
trial;
affliction,
infliction;
blow,
stroke,
burden,
load,
curse;
bitter pill,
bitter draught;
waters of bitterness.
annoyance,
grievance,
nuisance,
vexation,
mortification,
sickener†;
bore,
bother,
pother,
hot water,
sea of troubles"
[Hamlet],
hornet's nest,
plague,
pest.
cancer,
ulcer,
sting,
thorn;
canker
etc.
(bane)
663;
scorpion
etc.
(evil doer)
913;
dagger
etc.
(arms)
727;
scourge
etc.
(instrument of punishment)
975;
carking care,
canker worm of care.
mishap,
misfortune
etc.
(adversity)
735;
desagrement [Fr.],
esclandre [Fr.],
rub.
source of irritation,
source of annoyance;
wound,
open sore;
sore subject,
skeleton in the closet;
thorn in the flesh,
thorn in one's side;
where the shoe pinches,
gall and wormwood.
sorry sight,
heavy news,
provocation;
affront
etc.
929;
head and front of one's offending"
[Othello].
infestation,
molestation;
malignity
etc.
(malevolence)
907.
... show more
Dutch: oneffenheid, onregelmatigheid
2 rub
The act of rubbing or wiping:
— He gave the hood a quick rub.
synonym: wipe.
verb
1 rub
Move over something with pressure.
Dutch: strelen, aaien, strijken, wrijven
2 rub
Cause friction.
synonyms: chafe, fray, fret, scratch.
Roget 331:
rub,
scratch,
scrape,
scrub,
slide,
fray,
rasp,
graze,
curry,
scour,
polish,
rub out,
wear down,
gnaw;
file,
grind
etc.
(reduce to powder)
330.
set one's teeth on edge;
rosin.
... show more
Dutch: aanlopen, oplopen
3 rub
Scrape or rub as if to relieve itching.
synonyms: itch, scratch.
Dutch: krauwen, krabbelen, klauwen, krabben, schuren
Moby thesaurus: Discordia, Eris, ablate, abrade, abrase, afflict, aggravate, agonize, ail, air-dry, anhydrate, annoy, apple of discord, attouchement, bake, bandage, bar, bark, bathe, bite, block, blockade, blot, bone of contention, bone to pick, bother, bottleneck, breath, brush, brush by, buff, burn, burnish, care for, caress, casus belli, catch, catch a likeness, chafe, character, characterize, chart, clash, clashing, climacteric, clutch, come in contact, conflict, confrication, contact, contention, contingence, convergence of events, convulse, cordon, crimp, crisis, critical juncture, critical point, crossroads, crow to pick, crow to pluck, crucial period, crucify, crunch, crux, cure, curtain, cut, cutaneous sense, dehumidify, dehydrate, delineate, depict, desiccate, determent, deterrent, diagnose, diagram, difficulty, disaccord, disaffinity, discord, discordance, discordancy, disharmony, distress, doctor, drain, draw, drawback, dry, emergency, enmity, erase, erode, evaporate, exasperate, excoriate, excruciate, exigency, exsiccate, extremity, feel, feel up, feeling, fester, file, fingertip caress, finish, fire, flick, flux, fondle, fray, frazzle, fret, frication, friction, frictionize, frottage, furbish, gall, give care to, give pain, glance, glaze, gloss, gnaw, gnaw away, grate, graze, grind, gripe, grounds for war, hamper, hand-mindedness, hang-up, harrow, hazard, heal, hinge, hit, hit off, hitch, hurdle, hurt, impediment, impinge, impingement, impingence, incompatibility, incompatibleness, inflame, inflict pain, inharmoniousness, inharmony, insolate, irk, irritate, jangle, jar, joker, kill by inches, kiln, kiss, knead, lacerate, lambency, lap, lick, light touch, limn, luster, map, martyr, martyrize, massage, minister to, mischief, mummify, nettle, nip, noncooperation, nose, notate, nudge, nurse, nuzzle, objection, obstacle, obstruction, obstructive, one small difficulty, open conflict, operate on, osculate, osculation, pain, paint, parch, pass, peeve, perfrication, pet, physic, picture, picturize, pierce, pinch, plaster, polish, portray, poultice, prick, print, prolong the agony, provoke, purge, push, put to torture, rack, rankle, rasp, raze, register, remedy, render, represent, rile, rub against, rub away, rub down, rub noses, rub off, rub out, rubbing, ruffle, schematize, scorch, scour, scrape, scrub, scuff, sear, sense of touch, shave, shine, shrivel, sideswipe, skim, skin, skirt, sleek, slick, slick down, smoke, snag, soak up, sore point, splint, sponge, squeak by, stab, sting, strained relations, strait, strap, stroke, stumbling block, stumbling stone, sun, sun-dry, swab, symbolize, tactile sense, taction, take a rubbing, tangency, tap, tender spot, tension, tentative contact, tentative poke, ticklish issue, torment, torrefy, torture, touch, touching, towel, trace, trace out, trace over, traverse, treat, turn, turning point, tweak, twist, unharmoniousness, unpleasantness, varnish, vex, wax, wear, wear away, weazen, whisper, wipe, wither, wizen, wound, wring, write ... show more.
debug info: 0.0381