hiding

¹ American  

[hahy-ding] / ˈhaɪ dɪŋ /

noun

1. act of concealing; concealment.

   to remain in hiding.

2. a secret refuge or means of concealment.

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hiding ² American  

[hahy-ding] / ˈhaɪ dɪŋ /

noun

Informal.

1. a severe beating; flogging; thrashing.

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hiding ¹ British  

/ ˈhaɪdɪŋ /

noun

1. the state of concealment (esp in the phrase in hiding )

2. a place of concealment

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hiding ² British  

/ ˈhaɪdɪŋ /

noun

1. informal a flogging; beating

2. to be bound to fail; to face impossible odds

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Etymology

Origin of hiding¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; hide ¹ + -ing ¹

Origin of hiding²

First recorded in 1800–10; hide ² + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hiding

He deserted his unit earlier this month, Goni said, before relocating to Maiduguri, where he went into hiding with the help of an "associate".

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

“Maybe they’re hiding something that they’re ashamed to admit because of who you are, what you put forth in the world.”

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026

Amundson went inside the store, where 20 people were hiding.

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

Native to Australia and the South Pacific, the snake likely reached Guam sometime after World War II, possibly by hiding aboard military cargo planes.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026

I didn’t go straight back to my hiding place.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls