trekking

[trek-ing]

noun

1. the act of traveling or migrating slowly or with difficulty, as through rough or unsettled territory.

   Arduous trekking through the Alleghenies caused their Conestoga wagons to break down again and again.

2. the act of hiking long distances as a recreational activity, especially over rough terrain.

   The three hours of hard trekking over the tough trail is worth it for the splendid view of the valley.

3. the act of making a relatively short but difficult or burdensome trip.

   I moved back into a city apartment because I got tired of all the trekking back and forth and the aggravation of having a house and car.

adjective

1. traveling, migrating, or hiking over rough terrain, or making any other difficult or burdensome trip.

   The overuse of resources by trekking tourists is contributing to environmental harm in Nepal and elsewhere.

Word History and Origins

Origin of trekking¹

First recorded in 1845–50; trek ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses; trek ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective sense

Example Sentences

After trekking hundreds of miles, the British party reached the pole in January 1912, but they found they had been beaten by a Norwegian team led by Roald Amundsen.

From BBC

Last October, Mr Phillips and his three children were publicly spotted for the first time since vanishing, when a group of teenagers spotted them trekking and filmed the encounter.

From BBC

They were seen in public for the first time since vanishing last October, when a group of teenagers spotted them trekking through the bush and filmed the encounter.

From BBC

Meanwhile, brown dog ticks — vectors for the bacterial infection Ehrlichiosis — are trekking north from Mexico into Southern California.

From Los Angeles Times

That means they have the time to track small groups or even individual border jumpers trekking north through the desert.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• driving 
• excursion 
• flying 
• movement 
• navigation 
• ride 
• sailing 
• sightseeing 
• tour 
• transit 
• trek 
• trip