Meaning & use
hitchhike
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Meanings
verbintransitive
To travel by asking passing drivers for free rides, often by standing at the roadside with a raised thumb.
Grammar: No object; often followed by a place: hitchhike to the coast.
Patterns
- hitchhike to somewhere
- hitchhike across something
- hitchhike with someone
They hitchhiked to the coast on a sunny weekend.
He hitchhiked across Europe after college.
Hitchhiking can be unsafe, so many people avoid it.
verbintransitivefigurativeinformal
To use someone else's success, work or position to get ahead without much effort of your own.
Grammar: Used figuratively, often with on: hitchhike on someone's fame.
Patterns
- hitchhike on something
The small company hitchhiked on the larger brand's reputation.
Some artists hitchhike on trends to get noticed.
verbintransitivebiologyfigurative
To travel attached to something else, as seeds or organisms do on an animal or ship.
Grammar: Used in biology, often with on: seeds hitchhike on fur.
Patterns
- hitchhike on something
Burrs hitchhike on the coats of passing dogs.
Insects hitchhiked on the cargo ship to a new continent.
Word forms
| third person singular | hitchhikes |
|---|---|
| past tense | hitchhiked |
| past participle | hitchhiked |
| -ing form | hitchhiking |
Common combinations
- hitchhike across the country
- She hitchhiked across the country in 1975.
- hitchhike to town
- We hitchhiked to town after the bus broke down.
- thumb a ride
- He stood at the roadside to thumb a ride.
- hitchhike with a friend
- They hitchhiked together for safety.
- hitchhike on someone's coattails
- He tried to hitchhike on his boss's success.
Synonyms and how they differ
- thumb a lift
- Thumb a lift is a British informal phrase that names the signal, while hitchhike names the whole style of travel.
- hitch
- Hitch is a shorter, more informal form and can also mean to fasten something.
- cadge a ride
- Cadge a ride means to ask for a single lift, not travel by a series of lifts.
- catch a ride
- Catch a ride can be any lift from someone you know, with no roadside waiting.
Word family
- hitchhiker noun
- a person who travels by hitchhiking
- hitchhiking noun
- travel by free rides
- hitch verb
- informal for hitchhike
- hitch-hiker noun
- alternative spelling with a hyphen
Commonly confused: hitchhike or hike? hitchhike or hitch?
hitchhike vs hike
Hike means to go on a long walk, usually for pleasure. Hitchhike needs a vehicle.
hitchhike vs hitch
Hitch can mean a problem or a fastening, so its meaning depends on context.
Practice
With no money left, the travelers decided to ___ to the next town.
Choose one answer.
Hitchhike means to travel by getting free rides from passing drivers. Carpool needs a prearranged group, and commute means a regular trip to work.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hitchhike”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.