trek
Americanverb (used without object)
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to travel or migrate slowly or with difficulty, often through rough or unsettled territory.
He managed to escape from a Siberian labor camp and trekked to Iran, a three-year journey.
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to hike long distances as a recreational activity, especially over rough terrain.
He's trekked through the Himalayas and summited Mt. Kilimanjaro.
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to make a short but difficult trip on foot.
We trekked back to our hotel in the pouring rain.
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South Africa. to travel by ox wagon.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a slow or difficult journey, hike, or trip.
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South Africa.
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a migration or expedition, especially by ox wagon.
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a stage of such a journey, between one stopping place and the next.
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noun
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a long and often difficult journey
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a journey or stage of a journey, esp a migration by ox wagon
verb
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(intr) to make a trek
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(tr) (of an ox, etc) to draw (a load)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have trekkedperfect
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has trekkedperfect 3rd person singular
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are trekkingprogressive
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have been trekkingperfect progressive
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is trekkingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am trekkingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been trekkingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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trekkingparticiple
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trekssingular 3rd person
Past
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had trekkedperfect
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was trekkingprogressive singular
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were trekkingprogressive plural
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had been trekkingperfect progressive
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trekkedsimple
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trekkedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of trek
First recorded in 1845–50; from Afrikaans and Dutch noun trek “a tug, pull, march”; verb from Afrikaans trek “to draw, pull, migrate,” from Dutch trekken
Explanation
Want to go on a trek through the mountains? Make sure you have good shoes, drinking water, and snacks. A trek is a long and difficult journey. The word trek implies an extended trip that is hard — a climb up a mountain or a journey through dense forests. In Star Trek, the crew of the Enterprise is on a journey through space that will last a long time. You wouldn't say that you took a trek to the corner grocery unless you had to fight through three feet of snow to get there.
Vocabulary lists containing trek
President Obama's Farewell Address
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Stargirl
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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I admire the image, but my conscience nags that one should have to trek halfway around the world to see such a thing.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
That people make the trek is a sign of the animals’ global popularity.
From Slate • May 27, 2026
Any long-distance trek is as much an internal journey as it is external.
From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026
The diner offers certificates of completion for those who finish the trek, and devised a burger named for the route.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
Some of the men from the crowd joined his trek.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
