Meaning & use
to hawk
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To sell goods, often in the street or by calling out loudly to attract customers.
Grammar: Can be used with an object: hawk goods, or without: he was hawking on the corner.
Patterns
- hawk goods
- hawk something on the street
He used to hawk newspapers on the street corner when he was a boy.
Street vendors hawk their products to tourists.
She was hawking handmade jewelry at the market.
verbintransitive
To clear the throat noisily, especially by coughing up phlegm.
Grammar: No object; often followed by 'up': hawk up phlegm.
Patterns
- hawk up something
He hawked loudly and spat on the ground.
The old man cleared his throat and hawked.
verbtransitivedisapproving
To spread rumors or gossip, often in an aggressive way.
Grammar: Takes an object: hawk gossip, hawk rumors.
Patterns
- hawk gossip
- hawk rumors
She was hawking rumors about her colleagues.
Stop hawking gossip about people you don't even know.
Word forms
| third person singular | hawks |
|---|---|
| past tense | hawked |
| past participle | hawked |
| -ing form | hawking |
Common combinations
- hawk goods
- They hawk goods on the beach during the summer.
- hawk something on the street
- He hawks souvenirs on the street to make a living.
- hawk up phlegm
- He was sick and kept hawking up phlegm.
- hawk newspapers
- In the past, young boys would hawk newspapers at train stations.
Synonyms and how they differ
- peddle
- Similar meaning but often implies selling something illegal or of low quality; 'hawk' is more neutral about the goods.
- vend
- More formal and often used for selling in a specific place, like a vending machine; 'hawk' suggests calling out or moving around.
Opposites
Word family
- hawker noun
- A person who sells goods in the street.
Commonly confused: to hawk or hock?
to hawk vs hock
To hock means to pawn something (sell it to a pawnshop). It sounds similar but has a different meaning.
Practice
At the fair, vendors ______ their handmade crafts to the crowd.
Choose one answer.
'Hawk' means to sell goods, often by calling out, which fits the context of a fair. 'Hock' means to pawn something. 'Hook' and 'hike' are unrelated verbs.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “to hawk”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.