rub in

verb

To apply by rubbing.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbrub in (third-person singular simple present rubs in, present participle rubbing in, simple past and past participle rubbed in)

present singular third person rubs in · participle present rubbing in · participle past rubbed in · past rubbed in

  1. transitiveTo apply by rubbing.

    Flattening chicken breast halves serves two purposes: It provides more surface area to rub in the Greek-influenced seasoning, and it ensures that the chicken cooks quickly.

    2006 July 19, “On The Fridge”, in Washington Post
  2. transitiveOf butter, to mix in by rubbing.
  3. idiomatictransitiveTo make a point in an irritatingly emphatic manner.

    Postcards from Florida might mean someone is rubbing in the fact he or she has been lounging on the white, sandy beaches

    2003 March 9, Glenn Davis, “U.S. vs. Mexico a day of celebration, opportunity”, in Houston Chronicle
Cite this entry
APA

rub in. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rub%20in

MLA

“rub in.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rub%20in. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rub in,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rub%20in.

Source: rub in on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.