hitchhike

[hich-hahyk]

See more synonyms for hitchhike on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), hitch·hiked, hitch·hik·ing.

to travel by standing on the side of the road and soliciting rides from passing vehicles.

verb (used with object), hitch·hiked, hitch·hik·ing.

to ask for or get (a ride) by hitchhiking.

noun

an act or instance of hitchhiking.

Origin of hitchhike

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25; hitch¹ + hike

Related formshitch·hik·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for hitchhike

hitch, thumb

Examples from the Web for hitchhike

Contemporary Examples of hitchhike

He came to Phoenix once and we went up to see him, and they got so crazy that I ended up trying to hitchhike home.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile
Robert Ward
January 3, 2015
Planning to hitchhike across the country, Sal gets off on the wrong foot.
‘On the Road’: Differences Between Jack Kerouac’s Novel and This Year’s Film
Anna Klassen
December 21, 2012
As we flew in, he said, ‘Will there be a TV crew at the airport, or will we have to hitchhike into town?’
Nathan Englander Talks About His New Story Collection, Philip Roth, Twitter, and More
Jane Ciabattari
February 25, 2012
Just like when I used to hitchhike and I could go for days without eating or sleeping.
Robert Bolaño's European Adventures
Roberto Bolano
April 28, 2011
To get here, some have had to undertake long journeys on rickety buses or hitchhike on roads made unsafe at night by bandits.
India's Pink Vigilantes
Amana Fontanella-Khan
February 26, 2011

Historical Examples of hitchhike

"When I was a college kid, I used to hitchhike sometimes," Craig remarked.
Stamped Caution
Raymond Zinke Gallun
I didn't have any money, of course, so I had to hitchhike into town.
Back to Julie
Richard Wilson

British Dictionary definitions for hitchhike

hitchhike

verb

(intr) to travel by obtaining free lifts in motor vehicles

Derived Formshitchhiker, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for hitchhike

1921 (n.), 1923 (v.), from hitch, from the notion of hitching a sled to a moving vehicle (a sense first recorded 1880) + hike. Related: Hitchhiked; hitchhiking. Hitchhiker attested from 1927.