noun · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˈhɪt͡ʃhaɪk/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:HH IH1 CH HH AY2 K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A journey made by hitchhiking.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Alternative form of hitchhiker (“advertisement at the end of a programme”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of, alternative
Topics: advertising, broadcasting, business, marketing, media, radio
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road, generally by either sticking out one's finger or thumb or holding a sign with one's stated destination.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To try to get (a ride) in this manner.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, transitive
Examples
Pamela hitchhiked a ride to New York.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To be carried along with something else.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, intransitive
Examples
In genetic hitchhiking, a gene is propagated because it occurs in conjunction with a favourable mutation.
In cultural hitchhiking, a cultural trait spreads with a technologically advanced population.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
travel by getting free rides from motorists
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: hitch, thumb
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: ride
History
Etymology
From hitch + hike.
Across languages
Translations
66 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
ճանապարհորդել ավտոստոպով
(čanaparhordel avtostopov)
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Breton:
c'hoari biz-meud
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Bulgarian:
пътувам на автостоп
(pǎtuvam na avtostop)
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Catalan:
fer autoestop
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Chinese Mandarin:
搭便車 /搭便车
(dābiànchē)
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Chinese Mandarin:
順風車 /顺风车
(shùnfēngchē)
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Chinese Mandarin:
搭車 /搭车
(dāchē)
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Czech:
stopovat
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Danish:
tomle
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Danish:
blaffe
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Dutch:
liften
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Esperanto:
petveturi
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Estonian:
hääletama
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Faroese:
tumla
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Finnish:
liftata
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
French:
faire de l'auto-stop
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
French:
faire du stop
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Galician:
facer dedo
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Galician:
facer autostop
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
German:
trampen
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
German:
autostoppen
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
German:
per Anhalter fahren
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Greek:
κάνω οτοστόπ
(káno otostóp)
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Hebrew:
תָּפַס טְרֶמְפּ
(tafás trémp)
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Hebrew:
נָסַע בְּטְרֶמְפּ
(nasá b'trémp)
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Hungarian:
stoppol
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Hungarian:
stoppal megy
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Hungarian:
autóstoppal megy
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Icelandic:
fara á puttanum
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Ido:
autostopar
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Japanese:
ヒッチハイクする
(hitchihaiku-suru)
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Khmer:
ឈរតាមផ្លូវសុំដោយសារឡានគេ
(chɔɔ taam phləw som daoy saa laan kei)
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Lao:
ໂບກລົດ
(bōk lot)
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Latvian:
īkšķot
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Latvian:
stopēt
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Lithuanian:
tranzuoti
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Lithuanian:
keliauti autostopu
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Macedonian:
стопи́ра
(stopíra)
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Macedonian:
автостопи́ра
(avtostopíra)
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Māori:
haere paoeke
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Mongolian:
дайгдах
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Norwegian Bokmål:
haike
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Norwegian Nynorsk:
haika
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Persian:
اتواستپ کردن
(oto-estop kardan)
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Polish:
łapać okazję
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Portuguese:
pedir carona
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Portuguese:
pedir boleia
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Romanian:
face autostopul
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Romanian:
sta la ocazie
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Romanian:
sta la „ia-mă, nene”
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Russian:
голосова́ть
(golosovátʹ)
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Russian:
путеше́ствовать автосто́пом
(putešéstvovatʹ avtostópom)
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Scottish Gaelic:
siubhail air an òrdaig
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Serbo-Croatian:
stopirati
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Slovak:
ísť autostopom
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Slovene:
štopati
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Spanish:
echar / jalar / tirar / halar dedo
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Spanish:
hacer autostop / autoestop
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Spanish:
hacer dedo
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Spanish:
pedir un bote
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Swedish:
lifta
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Tamil:
கெஞ்சுப்பயணம்
(keñcuppayaṇam)
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Thai:
โบกรถ
(bòok-rót)
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Tongan:
kole lifi
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Turkish:
otostop çekmek
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road
Vietnamese:
quá giang
— to try to get a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of a road