hitch

¹ American  

[hich] / hɪtʃ /

verb (used with object)

1. to fasten or tie, especially temporarily, by means of a hook, rope, strap, etc.; tether.

   Steve hitched the horse to one of the posts.

   Synonyms:

   hook, connect, attach

   Antonyms:

   loosen, loose

2. to harness (an animal) to a vehicle (often followed byup ).

   Synonyms:

   yoke

3. to raise with jerks (usually followed byup ); hike up.

   to hitch up one's trousers.

4. to move or draw (something) with a jerk.

5. Slang. to bind by marriage vows; unite in marriage; marry.

   They got hitched in '79.

6. to catch, as on a projection; snag.

   He hitched his jeans on a nail and tore them.

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verb (used without object)

1. to stick, as when caught.

2. to fasten oneself or itself to something (often followed byon ).

3. to move roughly or jerkily.

   The old buggy hitched along.

4. to hobble or limp.

noun

1. the act or fact of fastening, as to something, especially temporarily.

2. any of various knots or loops made to attach a rope to something in such a way as to be readily loosened.

3. Military Slang. a period of military service.

   a three-year hitch in the Navy.

4. an unexpected difficulty, obstacle, delay, etc..

   a hitch in our plans for the picnic.

   Synonyms:

   impediment, catch, hindrance

5. a hitching movement; jerk or pull.

6. a hitching gait; a hobble or limp.

7. a fastening that joins a movable tool to the mechanism that pulls it.

8. Mining.

   1. a fault having a throw less than the thickness of a coal seam being mined.

   2. a notch cut in a wall or the like to hold the end of a stull or other timber.

verb phrase

1. hitch up to harness an animal to a wagon, carriage, or the like.

hitch ² American  

[hich] / hɪtʃ /

noun

1. a minnow, Lavinia exilicauda, inhabiting streams in the area of San Francisco and the Sacramento River basin.

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hitch ³ American  

[hich] / hɪtʃ /

verb (used with or without object)

Informal.

1. hitchhike.

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hitch British  

/ hɪtʃ /

verb

1. to fasten or become fastened with a knot or tie, esp temporarily

2. (often foll by up) to connect (a horse, team, etc); harness

3. to pull up (the trousers, a skirt, etc) with a quick jerk

4. (intr) to move in a halting manner

   to hitch along

5. to entangle or become entangled

   the thread was hitched on the reel

6. slang (tr; passive) to marry (esp in the phrase get hitched )

7. informal to obtain (a ride or rides) by hitchhiking

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noun

1. an impediment or obstacle, esp one that is temporary or minor

   a hitch in the proceedings

2. a knot for fastening a rope to posts, other ropes, etc, that can be undone by pulling against the direction of the strain that holds it

3. a sudden jerk; tug; pull

   he gave it a hitch and it came loose

4. a hobbling gait

   to walk with a hitch

5. a device used for fastening

6. informal a ride obtained by hitchhiking

7. slang a period of time spent in prison, in the army, etc

Other Word Forms

• hitcher
  noun

Etymology

Origin of hitch¹

First recorded in 1400–50; 1840–50 hitch ¹ for def. 5; late Middle English verb icchen, hicchen, hitchen “to move rapidly or jerkily”; of obscure origin

Origin of hitch²

Origin uncertain

Origin of hitch³

First recorded in 1865–70; by shortening

Explanation

A hitch is an obstacle or hindrance. You might be late because of a last minute hitch, like waiting for a family of ducks to cross the road. If things go well, they go off without a hitch. The word hitch has a gazillion meanings — it’s a hook, a limp, short for hitchhiking, slang for getting married — but the most common meaning is that a hitch is a little problem. If you’ve packed a picnic and then it rains, the weather is a hitch in your plans. Hitches include hang-ups, snafus, impediments, and other things that interfere. Often this term is used in the phrase "without a hitch" for things that go smoothly.

Example Sentences

“I don’t think it will go off without a hitch in whatever their perceived path forward is.”

From Slate • Apr. 30, 2026

Another potential hitch could come from family members — especially if you are in the sandwich generation, between children and aging parents who might need financial assistance.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

The main strike went off without a hitch, and everything was quiet as they turned back.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

A hitch at the police station meant Andrew's detention was slightly longer than it might have been.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

Mariam wished he wouldn’t do that, hitch his hopes to its being a boy.

From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini

Related Words

• drawback
• glitch
• hindrance
• impediment
• interruption
• mishap
• snafu
• snag
• stumbling block