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
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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
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(usually foll by up) to pull or be pulled; hitch
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(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
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hikesimple
-
hikessimple
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have hikedperfect
-
has hikedperfect
-
am hikingprogressive
-
are 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
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What Does the Fed's Raising Interest Rates Mean?
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Unit 13
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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:
"I don't expect a rate hike, but I do expect dissents," said Diane Swonk, chief economist at KPMG.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
However, Bernstein’s recent channel checks show there has been only a high-single-digit price hike so far in 2H.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Markets have been pricing in that possibility, with investors giving a more than 30 percent probability that the rate hike could come as soon as Wednesday, according to CME's FedWatch tool.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
“Markets can’t find equilibrium on a binary event, so someone may be hedging. I just think the odds of a hike are very low.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Once on shore, I could hike to town.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
The lower consumer inflation figure for June gave policymakers enough "room to breathe" for now, but with further price rises expected Swonk was pencilling in two rate hikes for later this year.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
“The outlook for further sequential hikes in 2027 has low visibility,” the analysts say, adding that the memory price peak could come sooner than expected.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
"The hawkish core of the Fed has not only hardened but it's broadened," said Swonk, who expects two rate hikes later this year.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan and Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack have been arguing for months that the central bank should consider hikes.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 25, 2026
But Baldwin hikes up his pants and hurries to catch up with him.
From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz
Nor was she in the mood to admit that her relationship with business had worsened after she hiked National Insurance tax for employers.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
Egg companies significantly hiked prices in 2022 and again in 2024 and 2025 after a severe supply shortage that the industry attributed to avian flu.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
In addition, there was an element of demand destruction, especially in Asia, where flights were canceled, rationing was imposed and import duties on oil were hiked, he said.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
Piper Sandler analyst Edward Tenthoff hiked his price target on the shares to $77 from $69 while maintaining an Overweight rating, citing the progress showcased at Moderna’s investor day.
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026
As she hiked, the robot couldn’t help staring at the bizarre frozen shapes around her.
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
It said soldiers had gone to Tal following a report of an attack on Israeli civilians who were hiking in the area.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
The central bank held rates steady, but could resume hiking as surging oil prices threaten to drive inflation and bond yields higher.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
The best-laid plans can still result in visitors facing significant lines at the park’s gate and restaurants, crowded hiking trails and a relentless search for parking.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
In the Austrian Alps, roughly three out of four hiking accidents happen on the descent.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 16, 2026
The rocks slide and crunch beneath our hiking boots.
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
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.
