Meaning & use
hidden
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Not able to be seen or not easily noticed.
Grammar: Used before a noun: a hidden camera. It can also follow a linking verb: The door was hidden.
Patterns
- hidden from someone
- hidden behind something
- keep something hidden
The keys were hidden under the mat.
She kept her diary hidden in a drawer.
The house is hidden from the road by trees.
adjectivebefore a noun
Not known or not obvious; difficult to discover.
Grammar: Often describes costs, meanings, or feelings that are not immediately clear: hidden charges, a hidden meaning.
Patterns
- hidden charges
- hidden meaning
- hidden talent
The price includes no hidden charges.
There was a hidden meaning in his words.
She has a hidden talent for singing.
Word forms
| comparative | more hidden |
|---|---|
| superlative | most hidden |
Common combinations
- hidden camera
- They used a hidden camera to record the room.
- hidden fees
- Read the contract to avoid hidden fees.
- hidden agenda
- Some people think the group has a hidden agenda.
- hidden gem
- This small café is a hidden gem.
- remain hidden
- The truth remained hidden for years.
Synonyms and how they differ
- concealed
- More formal; often used for things deliberately kept out of sight, as in a concealed weapon.
- secret
- Focuses on being kept from others' knowledge, not just from sight: a secret plan.
- invisible
- Means impossible to see at all, while hidden means not visible because it is covered or placed out of view.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: hidden or hid?
hidden vs hid
Hid is the past tense of hide: She hid the money. Hidden is the past participle or adjective: The money was hidden.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
The passive uses the past participle 'hidden': was hidden. 'Hid' is the simple past and does not fit after 'was' in this passive sense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hidden”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.