Meaning & use
unhide
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitivecomputing
To make something visible again after it was hidden on a screen or in a program, such as a column, file or comment.
Grammar: Takes an object: unhide the rows.
Patterns
- unhide something
- unhide something in a program
Right-click the column header to unhide the hidden column.
She wanted to unhide the folder she had hidden by mistake.
You can unhide the post from the settings menu.
verbtransitiverare
To bring something back into view after concealing it, in everyday and rare literary use.
Grammar: Rare outside computing; hidden in a broader sense.
Patterns
- unhide something from someone
He tried to unhide the old photos from his younger sister.
The librarian refused to unhide the rare manuscript for visitors.
They decided to unhide the secret garden path.
Word forms
| third person singular | unhides |
|---|---|
| past tense | unhid |
| past participle | unhidden |
| -ing form | unhiding |
Common combinations
- unhide a column
- Select both neighboring columns and unhide a column.
- unhide a sheet
- The menu lets you unhide a sheet in the workbook.
- unhide all
- Choose unhide all to show every hidden item.
- unhide a folder
- I could not unhide a folder on my computer.
- unhide comments
- The moderator can unhide comments that were removed in error.
Synonyms and how they differ
- show
- Show is the plain everyday word and works anywhere, but unhide makes clear the thing was hidden first.
- reveal
- Reveal suggests uncovering something secret and sounds more dramatic than unhide.
- restore
- Restore means bringing something back to its earlier state, which might include much more than visibility.
- display
- Display is a general word for making visible on a screen and does not imply it was hidden before.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: unhide or unlock?
unhide vs unlock
Unlock means to open something that is secured, whereas unhide only makes it visible.
Practice
In the spreadsheet, row 5 had disappeared, so Maria selected the rows around it and chose to ____ it.
Choose one answer.
Unhide makes hidden rows visible again. Deleting would remove the data, unlocking concerns protection, and renaming concerns a name.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “unhide”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.