hitchhike

American  

[hich-hahyk] / ˈhɪtʃˌhaɪk /

verb (used without object)

hitchhiked, hitchhiking

1. to travel by standing on the side of the road and soliciting rides from passing vehicles.

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verb (used with object)

hitchhiked, hitchhiking

1. to ask for or get (a ride) by hitchhiking.

noun

1. an act or instance of hitchhiking.

hitchhike British  

/ ˈhɪtʃˌhaɪk /

verb

1. (intr) to travel by obtaining free lifts in motor vehicles

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Other Word Forms

• hitchhiker
  noun

Etymology

Origin of hitchhike

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25; hitch ¹ + hike

Explanation

To hitchhike is to get a free ride from a passing car. If you see someone standing alongside the highway raising a thumb, chances are that person is hitchhiking, not just expressing approval of your driving style. In the past, it wasn't unheard of for people to hitchhike across the country, but it's much less common today. If you hitchhike, you typically stand beside a road or highway with one thumb pointed up. The hope for a hitchhiker is that a car will stop and its driver will provide a free ride. While for many people, hitchhiking was once considered a reasonable way to travel, today it's illegal in some places and generally thought of as dangerous. The word hitchhike dates from the 1920s.

Example Sentences

“There’s a certain irony there, don’t you think? How are they supposed to get downtown? Hitchhike? Walk?“

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 19, 2016

Related Words

• hitch