hike
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to walk or march a great distance, especially through rural areas, for pleasure, exercise, military training, or the like.
-
to move up or rise, as out of place or position (often followed byup ).
My shirt hikes up if I don't wear a belt.
-
Nautical. to hold oneself outboard on the windward side of a heeling sailboat to reduce the amount of heel.
verb (used with object)
-
to move, draw, or raise with a jerk (often followed byup ).
to hike up one's socks.
-
to increase, often sharply and unexpectedly.
to hike the price of milk.
noun
-
a long walk or march for recreational activity, military training, or the like.
-
an increase or rise, often sharp and unexpected.
a hike in wages.
idioms
verb
-
(intr) to walk a long way, usually for pleasure or exercise, esp in the country
-
(usually foll by up) to pull or be pulled; hitch
-
(tr) to increase (a price)
noun
-
a long walk
-
a rise in prices, wages, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
hikesimple
-
hikessimple
-
have hikedperfect
-
has hikedperfect
-
are hikingprogressive
-
am hikingprogressive
-
is hikingprogressive
-
have been hikingperfect progressive
-
has been hikingperfect progressive
Past
-
hikedsimple
-
had hikedperfect
-
was hikingprogressive
-
were hikingprogressive
-
had been hikingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of hike
First recorded in 1800–10; perhaps dialectal variant of hitch 1
Explanation
To hike is to walk a long way at a leisurely pace. You might love to hike in the woods on weekends. When you hike, you walk for pleasure, often in a wooded or hilly area. The trip itself is also a hike, whether you hike the Appalachian Trail or climb a local hill. Another meaning of hike is "to increase," as when the library decides to hike the fees for late books. Hike has been around since the 1800's, when it was spelled hyke, but its origin is uncertain. The "walk vigorously" meaning is older than the "raise or increase" meaning.
Vocabulary lists containing hike
Sports and Hobbies
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
What Does the Fed's Raising Interest Rates Mean?
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Unit 13
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Appeared in the April 15, 2026, print edition as 'Town Rejects 50% Property Tax Hike'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
Appeared in the January 28, 2026, print edition as 'SoftBank to Hike OpenAI Funding'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026
Through their group, Soft Girls who Hike, they have found a love of walking which has not only improved their mental health, they say, but connected them with many other women.
From BBC • Jul. 25, 2025
A video of the discovery posted on Instagram shows members of the Townsville Hike and Explore group gasping in surprise when they realized the authors were thousands of miles away in California.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 27, 2024
When I pulled up the snow anchor, straddled the runners, and shouted "Hike!"
From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell
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.
