trek
Americanverb (used without object)
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treks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
trekked,
past participle, past
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trekking
present participle
-
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)
-
treks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
trekked,
past participle, past
-
trekking
present participle
noun
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treks
plural
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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
-
(intr) to make a trek
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(tr) (of an ox, etc) to draw (a load)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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treksimple
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trekssimple
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have trekkedperfect
-
has trekkedperfect
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am trekkingprogressive
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are trekkingprogressive
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is trekkingprogressive
-
have been trekkingperfect progressive
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has been trekkingperfect progressive
Past
-
trekkedsimple
-
had trekkedperfect
-
was trekkingprogressive
-
were trekkingprogressive
-
had been trekkingperfect progressive
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.
See Examples For:
They explored the publicly owned island of Sazan, a former military site where locals trek by boat for day-trips.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
Based on Homer's poem written originally in Greek around the 7th or 8th century BC, the film tracks hero Odysseus as he faces obstacle after obstacle on his trek home from the Trojan War.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
Once inside the park before 8 a.m., their first stop was the Bridalveil Fall Trail, a short trek that takes visitors right to the base of the thundering cascade.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
She said she was supported by a team of friends and family along the trek, which saw her survive on just 90 minutes of sleep each night.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
And so the next day, my wife drove us deep into the boundless woods of northern Maine for our trek through the Hundred Mile Wilderness.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
This mission is a test flight designed to inform future treks, such as Artemis IV, a moon landing currently slated for 2028.
From Salon ● Apr. 7, 2026
They bought a house in El Valle de Anton, a beautiful town known for exotic wildlife, breathtaking treks, and fresh mountain air.
From Slate ● Mar. 30, 2026
He treks the gravel path behind the farmhouse to a small pasture tucked between rows of corn and soybeans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 15, 2026
Harmon frequently treks through the desert, wearing ankle braces and an orange safety vest, chatting with Border Patrol agents who appear to have taken to her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 1, 2026
He treks for six hours across the heath in the snow and the rain to get to the train.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
But the whole experience has made me wary enough that now, whether I’ve trekked through nature or the concrete jungle, a quick tick check is a part of my nighttime routine.
From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026
Canada, and Mexico have all trekked off to bed and told the remaining guests to shut off the lights and make sure the cat’s inside.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
Michele described carrying a binder with hundreds of pages of medical records and creating spreadsheets to track symptoms as they trekked from hospital to hospital, doctor to doctor, to get treatment for Aidan.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 27, 2026
While Bass and Raman trekked across the city during the primary, Pratt limited his public appearances mostly to the Westside and random encounters with supporters he posted on social media.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
Another biologist trekked through the rocks to the shark’s head.
From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen
When she moved to rural Alaska to work in a clinic, Higdon bought a few yaks in the town of North Pole and started a trekking business.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
The main trekking routes towards Everest are lined with family-run lodges that offer beds, hot meals and other facilities.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Choosin’ to stay home instead of trekking out to Indio for this weekend’s Stagecoach festival?
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2026
But scientists warn global warming-induced fast melting glaciers are causing many Himalayan glacial lakes to expand dangerously - meaning they can then burst out and sweep away downstream settlements, trekking routes and bridges.
From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026
She’s drenched, and she’s trekking around in her bathing suit like a little kid at the neighborhood pool.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
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.
