Synonyms and antonyms of To rub and rubbing in American Thesaurus

rub (verb)

to move your hand backward and forward across a part of someone’s body while pressing firmly, especially because that part of the body hurts

rub (verb)

to press and move against an object or a surface

knead (verb)

to rub or press someone’s muscles hard

scratch (verb)

to pull your nails along your skin, especially because you have an itch that makes you want to do this

buff (verb)

to make something shine by rubbing it with something such as a soft cloth

rasp (verb)

to rub a hard surface with something rough

chafe (verb)

to rub a part of your body in order to make it warm

grind (verb)

to make something such as a knife smooth or sharp by rubbing it against a hard surface

run (verb)

to move or rub something along something else

abrade (verb)

formal to damage something by rubbing its surface too hard

abrasion (noun)

formal the action of rubbing a surface hard enough to damage it

friction (noun)

the fact that one thing rubs against another

hone (verb)

to make the blade of a knife sharp by rubbing it on a special stone

rub (noun)

the action of rubbing part of the body

rubdown (noun)

the process of rubbing a surface to make it dry or smooth