hedge

American  

[hej] / hɛdʒ /

noun

1. a row of bushes or small trees planted close together, especially when forming a fence or boundary; hedgerow.

   small fields separated by hedges.

2. any barrier or boundary.

   a hedge of stones.

3. an act or means of preventing complete loss of a bet, an argument, an investment, or the like, with a partially counterbalancing or qualifying one.

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verb (used with object)

hedges, present (3rd person singular) hedged, past participle, past hedging present participle

1. to enclose with or separate by a hedge.

   to hedge a garden.

2. to surround and confine as if with a hedge; restrict (often followed by in, about, etc.).

   He felt hedged in by the rules of language.

3. to protect with qualifications that allow for unstated contingencies or for withdrawal from commitment.

   He hedged his program against attack and then presented it to the board.

4. to mitigate a possible loss by counterbalancing (one's bets, investments, etc.).

5. to prevent or hinder free movement; obstruct.

   to be hedged by poverty.

verb (used without object)

hedges, present (3rd person singular) hedged, past participle, past hedging present participle

1. to avoid a rigid commitment by qualifying or modifying a position so as to permit withdrawal.

   He felt that he was speaking too boldly and began to hedge before they could contradict him.

   Synonyms:

   waffle, temporize, delay, stall, evade

2. to prevent complete loss of a bet by betting an additional amount or amounts against the original bet.

3. Finance. to enter transactions that will protect against loss through a compensatory price movement.

hedge British  

/ hɛdʒ /

noun

1. a row of shrubs, bushes, or trees forming a boundary to a field, garden, etc

2. a barrier or protection against something

3. the act or a method of reducing the risk of financial loss on an investment, bet, etc

4. a cautious or evasive statement

5. (modifier; often in combination) low, inferior, or illiterate

   a hedge lawyer

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verb

1. (tr) to enclose or separate with or as if with a hedge

2. (intr) to make or maintain a hedge, as by cutting and laying

3. (tr; often foll by in, about, or around) to hinder, obstruct, or restrict

4. (intr) to evade decision or action, esp by making noncommittal statements

5. (tr) to guard against the risk of loss in (a bet, the paying out of a win, etc), esp by laying bets with other bookmakers

6. (intr) to protect against financial loss through future price fluctuations, as by investing in futures

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• hedger
  noun
• hedging
  noun
• hedgy
  adjective
• unhedged
  adjective
• well-hedged
  adjective
• unhedge
  verb (used with object)
• hedgeless
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have hedged
  perfect
• has hedged
  perfect 3rd person singular
• are hedging
  progressive
• is hedging
  progressive 3rd person singular
• am hedging
  progressive 1st person singular
• has been hedging
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• have been hedging
  perfect progressive
• hedging
  participle
• hedges
  singular 3rd person

Past

• had hedged
  perfect
• had been hedging
  perfect progressive
• was hedging
  progressive singular
• were hedging
  progressive plural
• hedged
  participle
• hedged
  simple

Future

• will hedge
  simple
• will have hedged
  perfect
• will be hedging
  progressive
• will have been hedging
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of hedge

before 900; Middle English, Old English hegge; cognate with Dutch heg, German Hecke hedge, Old Norse heggr bird cherry

Explanation

A hedge is a living fence made of closely planted bushes, which, as they grow and get trimmed and shaped, form a wall of green. Hedge can also be used as a verb. If someone asks you a question and you hedge, you're avoiding a straight answer. If you're not sure what your boss's political views are, you can hedge by not revealing yours. If you hedge your bets, you're trying to minimize risk or loss — that is, you're trying to cover yourself no matter what happens.

Example Sentences

Corporate investors are also in the mix, sometimes to hedge their bets or fund their customers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

Billionaire hedge fund founder turned environmentalist Tom Steyer was in third place with 22.5% — knocking the Democrat out of contention for the November election.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

Both CNN and NBC News projected Hilton, a former British political strategist and Fox News commentator, had enough votes to maintain his lead from third-place candidate Tom Steyer, a billionaire hedge manager.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

The hedge fund founder and environmental activist spent $216 million of his own money on his campaign, and now joins the legion of other high-profile, self-funding candidates rejected by California voters.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

When its subprime hedge funds crashed in June, Bear Stearns was forcibly severed from its line—and the balloon drifted farther from the ground.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• fudge
• sidestep
• waffle