Meaning & use
ride hailing
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
The service of ordering a car with a driver through a phone app and paying for the trip by distance or time.
Grammar: Uncountable noun: ride hailing has grown quickly.
Patterns
- ride hailing app
- ride hailing service
Ride hailing has changed how people get home at night.
Many cities now regulate ride hailing more strictly.
She uses ride hailing instead of owning a car.
adjectivebefore a noun
Used before a noun to describe companies, drivers, or apps that offer this kind of service.
Grammar: Often hyphenated when used before a noun: a ride-hailing app.
Patterns
- ride hailing company
- ride hailing driver
The ride hailing company added a safety button.
He works as a ride hailing driver on weekends.
A new ride hailing app opened in the city.
Common combinations
- ride hailing app
- Open the ride hailing app and enter the address.
- ride hailing service
- The ride hailing service arrives within minutes.
- ride hailing driver
- The ride hailing driver was waiting outside.
- ride hailing company
- The ride hailing company raised its prices.
- ride hailing fare
- The ride hailing fare was higher during rush hour.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ride sharing
- Ride sharing strictly means passengers sharing one vehicle, though people often use it for the same app services.
- taxi
- A taxi can be hailed in the street or booked, while ride hailing nearly always means ordering by app.
- cab
- Cab is an informal word for taxi and does not suggest an app.
- car service
- Car service suggests a pre-booked hired car rather than an on-demand app.
Word family
Commonly confused: ride hailing or ride sharing?
ride hailing vs ride sharing
Ride sharing means several people share one trip, while ride hailing means ordering a private car on demand.
Practice
Instead of waving down a taxi, she opened a ____ app to order a car.
Choose one answer.
A ride hailing app lets you book a car on your phone. A taxi stand is a place, not an app.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ride hailing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.