1
general::
noun ADJ. big | affectionate, comforting, friendly, loving, reassuring, warm | quick VERB + HUG give sb He gave the children a quick hug, then got into the car., verb ADV. close, tight/tightly James went to his daughter and hugged her tightly. | gently | fiercely PREP. to He reached out and hugged her to him. PHRASES hug and kiss sb
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
3
general::
hug
( also give somebody a hug ) to put your arms around someone and hold them tightly to show love or friendship:
• Mother hugged him and tucked him into bed. • Come here and give me a big hug.
embrace
to put your arms around someone and hold him or her in a caring way. Embrace is more formal than hug:
• Jason warmly embraced his son. • The two leaders embraced each other.
cuddle
to put your arms around someone or something as a sign of love, especially a child or a small animal:
• She sat on a chair, cuddling her daughter. • He cuddled the puppy.
put your arms around somebody
to hold someone closely to your body, especially to comfort them or show that you love them:
• The woman put her arms around the sobbing boy.
cradle
written to hold someone very gently in your arms, like you would hold a baby:
• She held the baby in her arms. • She cradled his head in her hands and kissed him on the forehead
Longman-Thesaurus