petting vs hugging

petting and hugging both are nouns.

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

As nouns, petting and hugging are synonyms defined as:

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

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

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