hippie

American  

[hip-ee] / ˈhɪp i /

Or hippy

noun

1. a person, especially of the late 1960s, who rejected established institutions and values and sought spontaneity, direct personal relations expressing love, and expanded consciousness, often expressed externally in the wearing of casual, folksy clothing and of beads, headbands, used garments, etc.

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hippie British  

/ ˈhɪpɪ /

noun

1. a variant spelling of hippy 1

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Etymology

Origin of hippie

An Americanism dating back to 1950–55; hip ⁴ + -ie

Compare meaning

How does hippie compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• beatnik vs. hippie

Example Sentences

But the decline in numbers predates the recent conflict, which begs the question: why are foreign visitors, who've patronised the relaxed budget getaway since the hippie heyday of the 1960s and 1970s, now turning away?

From BBC • May 16, 2026

Elsewhere in the documentary, narrated by Kate Winslet, he is described as a "bit of a hippie".

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026

What I want, right now, is what I would call an old-school hippie bowl.

From Salon • Jan. 13, 2026

This action inspires lovely, shimmering visuals of delicate luminescence, but Mr. Cameron’s references to becoming one with the environment would make the most earnest hippie folk singer blush.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

Her hair was gray and hippie long, hanging down to her waist.

From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben

Related Words

• bohemian
• flower child
• free spirit