hugging vs petting

hugging and petting both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
hugging	Yes	No	No	No
petting	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, hugging and petting are synonyms defined as:

hugging and petting: affectionate play (or foreplay without contact with the genital organs)

Other synonyms of hugging include caressing, cuddling, fondling, kissing, necking, smooching, snuggling.

hugging (noun)	petting (noun)
affectionate play (or foreplay without contact with the genital organs)	affectionate play (or foreplay without contact with the genital organs)