hidden
Americanadjective
verb
verb
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hidden
First recorded in 1540–50, for the adjective
Explanation
Hidden things can't be seen — they're concealed in some way. A hidden video camera inside a teddy bear might secretly be keeping an eye on a new babysitter. People with hidden feelings don't let their sadness, anger, and joy show; and hidden clues in a treasure hunt can't be easily found. Hidden things can be obscured deliberately (like hidden eggs at an Easter egg hunt), or simply out of view or undetected by you. Hidden is the past participle of hide, from the Old English hydan, which means "to hide or conceal," but also "to bury a corpse."
Vocabulary lists containing hidden
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.
While acknowledging most UK airlines already offer protections against hidden costs, the government said its proposed reforms would provide greater consistency across all airlines operating in the country.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Now, a large international study suggests that this hidden disease is already present in some young adults who otherwise appear healthy, and that it is considerably more widespread than previously recognized.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
She had received unauthorised payments and had hidden the misuse of funds and mismanagement of the charity from Campbell.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
And those funds hold thousands of diversified loans, therefore revealing major, but hidden, losses, he said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
What if he finds the postcard hidden inside my fancy dress?
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
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.
