Meaning & use
hiking
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
The activity of walking long distances, especially in the countryside or mountains, for exercise or enjoyment.
Grammar: Uncountable: we love hiking; not a hiking.
Patterns
- go hiking
- hiking in somewhere
We go hiking in the mountains every summer.
Hiking is a cheap way to stay fit.
She took up hiking after moving to Colorado.
verbtransitive or intransitive
The -ing form of hike, meaning to take a long walk in the countryside, or to raise something sharply.
Grammar: Without an object it means walking: we are hiking. With an object it means raising: hiking prices.
Patterns
- hiking up a trail
- hiking prices
They were hiking up the trail before sunrise.
The shop is hiking its prices again.
We are hiking to the lake tomorrow.
Word forms
| base form | hike |
|---|---|
| third person singular | hikes |
| past tense | hiked |
| past participle | hiked |
Common combinations
- go hiking
- Let's go hiking this weekend.
- hiking boots
- Wear sturdy hiking boots on the trail.
- hiking trail
- The hiking trail follows the river.
- hiking trip
- They planned a three-day hiking trip.
- hiking trails
- The park has over fifty miles of hiking trails.
Synonyms and how they differ
- trekking
- Trekking suggests a longer, harder journey over several days, often in remote or mountain areas.
- walking
- Walking is the general word for moving on foot and does not suggest the countryside or distance.
- rambling
- Rambling is a British word for relaxed country walking, usually less strenuous than hiking.
- backpacking
- Backpacking means hiking while carrying your gear and sleeping outdoors or in hostels.
Word family
Commonly confused: hiking or biking?
hiking vs biking
Biking means riding a bicycle, not walking, though the words sound alike.
Practice
We packed sturdy boots and water because we were going ____ in the hills.
Choose one answer.
Hiking is walking long distances in the countryside, where sturdy boots matter. Sailing and skating do not need boots.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hiking”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.