A hug is one of the best and widely accepted ways to show your affection and love (1). It communicates many emotions that words fail to express. There are different types of hugs that express different emotions. Hugging is a meaningful nonverbal gesture that expresses emotions such as care, empathy, and understanding. It helps to build stronger bonds and creates a feeling of closeness, bridging distances and expressing sincere feelings (2). When you feel low, angry, distressed, or sad, a quick squeeze or hug is all you need to lift your mood. A heartfelt hug can heal broken hearts and resolve any differences. Hugs are also a form of greeting people and showing friendliness. However, they can sometimes be misinterpreted if you don’t read the subtext. This post talks about different styles of hugs and their meanings.

1. The bear hug

The bear hug is probably the most genuine and meaningful hug. A real and tight hug is usually shared in moments of joy or excitement. A lot intimate, such a hug involves wrapping your arms around another person. Typically, such hugs are platonic! The tight embrace fills you with warmth and relieves you of stress and anxiety. The hug is a reassurance of how much you care for the relationship.

2. The tight hug

A tight hug is a full-bodied, warm embrace where you completely wrap your arms around your loved one. An extra squish highlights the closeness you share with the person. This type of hug usually happens in emotional situations when you do not have enough words to explain, such as when you meet someone after a long time or when you bid farewell. Only people you have known for a while will be comfortable with a tight hug.

3. The back hug

A hug from behind is a surprise hug that signifies deep feelings or is often shared during happy moments. The back hug expresses your strong physical connection in trustworthy and intimate relationships. Such a hug indicates that the two people are fond of each other. A gentle backstroke or quick nuzzle can express what a million words cannot.

4. The side hug

The side hug or one-armed hug is relatively less intimate and mostly shared between friends. It is more relaxed and often showcases that you are in a good mood. You can see employees sharing such a hug at the workplace or when people pose for photographs. A side hug may appear casual but often could be genuine and meaningful. Long-term acquaintances share a side hug on certain occasions or at parties to give positive energy.

5. The friend hug

There are two types of friends: one is your best buddy and the other is a close friend or acquaintance. And this hug is for the latter. One of your arms goes over their shoulder while the other arm goes under their armpit. The friend hug may or may not last long but is a loose hug indicating your approval of that person. Reserve this hug for a friend you like and spend time with, but not for your best buddies.

6. The group hug

Assemble your squad for this one! They are your special people with whom you have developed a deep bond over the years. Be it your coveted inner circle trio or your entire gang, this hug is probably the friendliest type of hug. Nothing is as warm and comforting as being surrounded by your loved ones, locked together in a warm embrace.

7. The self-hug

The self-hug is a special type of hug. One cannot always depend on others for hugs and emotional reassurances. In such a scenario, a self-hug is what you might need. Just wrapping your arms around yourself in a tight embrace is a wonderful feeling of the affection you have for yourself!

9. The long hug

The long hug is typical of long-term relationships or shared between friends. A comforting and strong embrace, you may yearn for such a hug when you feel low. You take the other person in your arms and hold them tight to send out a message that you are there for them. You may even give a hug around the neck. The hug provides much-needed warmth and emotional support to them and speaks of your incredible chemistry.

11. The heart-to-heart hug

If you want to express to someone how much they mean to you, try the heart-to-heart hug. In this hug, the people involved have to specifically place their left arm over the other’s right shoulder and their right arm around the other’s left side. This way, their hearts come closest, creating an intimate heart-to-heart hug. Such a thoughtful and warm hug can help deepen a relationship. This hug can also be used when trying to comfort someone you love and assure them that you have their back.

12. The around-the-waist hug

A hug around the waist can indicate a strong or casual relationship. This type of hug can signify that the person wants to spend as much time together as possible. A more intense one can grow into a warm, loving embrace and is typical of a passionate relationship. Observing one’s body language can reveal a lot about how they truly feel!

13. The one-sided hug

The one-sided hug is probably the most awkward of all hugs. The other person just isn’t involved in it. You may feel cold as the other person shrugs you off quickly. A one-sided hug may make you feel unwanted, but try to read your relationship dynamic beforehand. You should not encroach into the other person’s personal space.

14. The flirty hug

A flirty hug is the sign of a newfound love or the onset of a new relationship. Such a hug involves a light touch and a subtle expression of extra attention. This is typical of outgoing people who are trying to explore your mutual chemistry without saying anything explicitly. The flirty hug is a nice gesture with an exclusive look that conveys your strong feelings.

15. The polite hug

A polite hug is a formal hug usually shared with colleagues or distant relatives in an attempt to create a social bond. A polite hug tends to be short and quick. You should pay attention to the finer nuances of such a hug as the receiver may seem uncomfortable or awkward.

16. The London Bridge hug

The London Bridge hug involves the upper part of the body touching while the lower body stays apart. London Bridge hug is a formal hug or cordial embrace when two people maintain a certain distance from one another. This is the most awkward hug. We often see such hugs between diplomats or politicians. Such hugs are often shared to strike a social bond or to establish a non-personal relationship.

17. The buddy hug

Ever placed a hand around your buddy? That is a buddy hug! A buddy hug is not shared in a romantic relationship. You can see siblings sharing a buddy hug, which is never one-sided.

18. The slow dance hug

A slow dance hug is a sweet and intimate gesture, possibly seen on dates with your Valentine or at weddings during a waltz. This type of hug signifies your shared desire to remain locked in a close hug. The whole world tends to fade away when this is accompanied by deep eye contact. The hug speaks about your incredible chemistry and connection.

19. The head-on-shoulder hug

This refers to a partner laying their head on their mate’s shoulder. It signifies a strong connection and affection between two people. It shows a successful relationship in which partners feel comfortable with each other. This hug can be followed by a cheek kiss or a forehead kiss.

20. The catcher hug

The catcher hug is the physical manifestation of missing someone. This can apply to all kinds of relationships. The catcher hug will be shared by two people in a long-distance relationship or when you meet your best friend after a long time. You rush towards them in excitement and share an intimate embrace. This hug exudes positive energy and displays your real emotions.

21. The eye-to-eye hug

The eye-to-eye hug is common to new couples and people with deeper feelings. Such a hug could often be an expression of romantic love when two people get lost in each other’s eyes. The eye-to-eye hug is a personal and intimate one, which indicates a strong and deep bond between two people. Slow dancing with your soul mate often results in this type of hug with a gentle squish.

22. The quick hug

A quick hug is often misconstrued as unaffectionate or cold, but may not always be true. A quick hug rarely has a romantic subtext.

23. The ragdoll hug

The ragdoll hug is an interesting type of hug, which signifies a one-sided relationship. The ragdoll hug may indicate that the other person may not want to walk the extra mile to take the relationship to the next level. This type of hug can be considered cold and off-putting. However, there is a possibility of misreading the other person’s true intentions. It could be that the person is a dear friend who is too shy or not too comfortable with physical affection.

24. The patting hug

A hug accompanied by a gentle pat is meant to pep up the mood of a sad or dejected person. Such a hug is platonic and an excellent indication of camaraderie.

25. The resting-heads-on-each-other hug

Resting your heads on each other while in a warm embrace is a cozy cuddle. It is a deep and long-lasting romantic hug that makes one feel secure. You are madly in love with a special person if you rest your head on your partner’s head. This type of hug is an intimate gesture that indicates the mutual trust and deep commitment you share with the person.

26. The twirling-you-around hug

The hug with you twirling around is an example of happy hugging. In this type of hug, a taller person lifts a relatively shorter person and twirls her or him around with a tight hug. You can often see such hugs at airports when two people meet each other after a long time.

27. The sloppy hug

The sloppy hug is mostly shared at happy occasions or parties, where you need to appear to be warm and friendly to form social bonds. This type of hug may last longer but may not mean anything. You do it because it is polite. The sloppy hug is not intimate and often common between male and female friends.