11 Types of Hugs & What They Mean!

Hugs have been a form of love for a very long time, and depending on the types of hugs, it can be a kind of gesture and an expression of warmth, love, and affection. They are the best way to express your love when words fail to describe your state of mind. Whether you are meeting your mom after a long day at work or your best friend after months; whether you need to console your sad friend, or are delighted to see your lover;  hugs depict your emotions, lessen your stress and bring a kind of positivity in you as well as the other person.

It reduces your anxiety, stress and makes you feel like you belong with someone. There is nothing quite as comforting as a hug from the right person. Whether between parents and children, friends or lovers, hugs strengthen our bonds while making us healthier and happier. They can be a source of great comfort when things are not going smoothly. However, not all hugs mean the same thing. There are different types of hugs which have different meanings at different times.

Here is a list of types of hugs and what they mean. It will help you to know what a certain hug from a certain someone means and how you can reciprocate properly.

 

1. Polite Hug

 

 

It is a type of hug usually given to friends or acquaintances. It is given sideways with only a partial upper body contact and usually given at meetings, events, parties and special functions, etc. This is a simple hug that shows courtesy and is for the sake of social etiquette. If a girl hugs you like this it means that she is not interested in you and does not want to go out with you again. Therefore, a polite hug is just a simple, formal hug like a hello hug given by a person which ends with a great smile.

 

2. Warm Hug

 

 

It is the most affectionate type of hug. You can get this type of hug only from someone who loves you like your friends. Like the kind of tight embrace, you give your friend when you haven’t seen them for way too long. The kind your granny or sister gives you every time she sees you because they love you the most and vice versa. In these hugs you are pulled in, squished tightly and make you feel all happy and content from within. These hugs mean a lot as they have genuine emotions behind them. They are the real ones and are only for the best people in your life. A warm hug is a way to convey fondness, affection, love and care. These type of hugs do not have any bad and ulterior motives.

 

3. Comforting Hug

 

 

This is the kind of hug you give your friend when they require emotional support and care. It is a heart-to-heart hug that calms the person you hug, lets them feel better and is very personal and intimate. A comforting hug is like what is called ‘Jaadu ki Jhappi’ by which you can instantly make the person release his emotions and become happy. If a person is extremely tired or emotionally drained then you can boost their morale by giving a comforting hug. This hug shows your care about the other person and that you want to ease their pain.

 

4. The “One From The Back” Hug

 

 

Among the different types of hugs, these are the sneaky ones in which your loved ones hug you from the back and engulf you in a tight embrace, leaving you feeling loved. They are a sign of both trust and protection. These are the ones you get from your significant other or close family members. It’s the kind that kids usually give their parents, and the parents reciprocate by carrying them around.  These are not meant for strangers as that would be kind of inappropriate and awkward. These hugs tell you that your loved ones are feeling especially affectionate towards you or it could be the result of something nice that you’ve done for them and they are thankful. It could also mean that they have been missing you for long and are super excited to see you again. By giving a hug like this, your loved one is showing that they have your back. And if you’re giving it to someone, it means you are willing to protect them from anything.

 

5. The Buddy/Side Hug

 

 

This hug is the most relaxed one. This is how close friends hug each other. This hug is generally between friends and acquaintances. It is not a romantic kind of a hug but it is sweet. You can often see this kind of hug when people pose for a photo or are randomly chilling along with their friends. If they hug each other, the photo will be cute and lovely. This sideways hug, with your arms over each other’s shoulders or on the waist, suggests a level of comfort and trust that transcends your everyday friendship or romance. So, if a man has hugged you in this way, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he is into you, it is a sign that he sees you just as a friend and nothing more.

 

6. Bear Hug

 

 

It’s tight, reassuring, and worth a million words. It is what people who love each other completely share. It’s the sort of hug you’ve been getting from your parents and siblings, and embrace that relieves you of stress and anxiety. If you share this type of hug with someone, it means things are pretty serious, and you have deep feelings for them. There are different types of hugs, but the best is the bear hug in the entire world. This shows the closeness of two people. Both partners hug each in their full capacity and end up lifting the other. This occurs when the comfort zone between two people is so good that they find solace with each other and have enough closeness between them. At the time, the two people just want to keep hugging and do not want the other to go with full love, passion and no pretensions. A girl does this hug when you are extremely close to her heart.

 

7. One-Sided Hug

 

 

This hug happens when one person is keener than the other. It means that one person is trying hard to hug a person while the other doesn’t want to be hugged. They don’t even lift their arms to hug back. This is a bad sign of a one-sided relationship or for that matter for friendship too. A relationship works best when both are committed and on the same page.

 

8. Intimate Hug

 

 

A close, full-body embrace, with eye contact – that’s what an Intimate Hug is. It is clearly about more than just physical touch and the eye contact takes it to another level. If you have hugs like these quite often, it means you have something special going on. This type of hug is generally between lovers or couples. These are the hugs you get a custom handmade oil portrait made of!

 

9. The ‘Head On Shoulder’ Hug

 

 

This happens when either the guy or the girl lay their head on their mate’s shoulder. If this hug often takes place between you and your significant other, you should be aware that there is strong connection, compassion, love, and affection between you two and you are both willing to spend your lives together looking after each other. You have deep respect and loving devotion for each other, and the relationship is doing well. It also means you are extremely comfortable together. They make for custom handmade portraits.

 

10. The Handshake with a Pat Hug

 

 

Since guys do not get much touchy with other guys so handshake with a pat hug is what is most suitable and commonly practised by them. They shake their hands, kind of embrace and pat each other on the back. During this instance, only their chests come close.

 

11. Slow Dance Hug

 

 

This kind of hug can generally be seen between couples during their wedding ceremony where they dance to the tunes of the music holding their partners close to them. It is romantic and sweet and the chemistry, love and happiness of the couple are vividly evident in this one.

 

Conclusion

 

There are different types of hugs but no matter how you are getting embraced it is always a very special feeling when you are getting it from your loved ones. No matter what turmoil you are in, a hug has the power to release all of your emotions and make you feel lighter and happier, it is like a therapy. By the kind of hug you get from a person you can make out whether they want to have a serious relationship or not. When you hug another person, you can feel the good energy of the other person and they can feel yours. They are the best way of expressing your feelings for another person. Also, it makes the bond between two people stronger. So, you should never miss a chance to hug your loved ones because you never know what might come the next moment.