Hide — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈhīd/

Meaning & Definition of Hide

Hide (verb)

  1. to put out of sight, secrete
  2. to conceal for shelter or protection, shield
  3. to keep secret
  4. to give a beating to, flog

Hide (noun)

  1. the skin of an animal whether raw or prepared for use —used especially of large heavy skins
  2. the life or physical well-being of a person
  3. blind
  4. any of various old English units of land area; especially, a unit of 120 acres

Hide (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to put into a hiding place

    "the thief had hidden the stolen jewelry under the floorboards"

    similar: bury, cache, conceal, ensconce, secrete
    related: hoard, squirrel (away), stash, entomb, inter
    opposite: display, exhibit
    near: bare, expose, reveal, show, uncover, unmask, unveil, unwrap, flaunt, parade, show off, disinter, unearth

  2. to keep secret or shut off from view

    "he tried to hide his criminal past"

    "she hid the cat's litter box behind a screen"

    similar: belie, blanket, blot out, cloak, conceal, cover, curtain, disguise, enshroud, mask, obscure, occult, paper over, screen, shroud, suppress, veil
    related: bury, camouflage, cover (up), smother, gild, gloss (over), varnish, whitewash, becloud, bedim, befog, block, cloud, darken, eclipse, obstruct, occlude, overcast, overshadow, shade
    opposite: bare, disclose, display, divulge, expose, reveal, show, uncloak, uncover, unmask, unveil
    near: bring out, present, clarify, illuminate, advertise, air, broadcast, get out, proclaim, publicize, publish, spread

  3. to remain out of sight

    "he hid in the closet while his roommate lied to the probation officer"

    similar: hole up, lie, lurk, repose, skulk, lie low, sit tight
    related: slink, sneak, avoid, elude, evade
    opposite: appear
    near: come out, materialize, show up, turn up

  4. to strike repeatedly

    "the grizzled quartermaster threatened to hide any soldier caught stealing provisions"

    similar: bash, baste, bat, batter, beat, belabor, belt, birch, bludgeon, buffet, bung up, club, curry, do, drub, fib (British), flog, hammer, lace, lambaste, lash, lather, lick, maul, mess (up), paddle, pelt, pommel, pound, pummel, punch out, rough (up), slate, slog, switch, tan, thrash, thresh, thump, tromp, wallop, whale, whip, whop, whup, work over, beat up on
    related: assail, assault, attack, beset, box, bust, chop, clobber, clout, crack, cudgel, cuff, descend (on or upon), hit, jump (on), knock, lam, lay on, paste, pounce (on or upon), punch, raid, rush, slam, slap, smack, smash, sock, spank, storm, swat, swipe, thwack, whack, wham, whomp, blackjack, cane, cowhide, flagellate, fustigate, horsewhip, leather, pistol-whip, rawhide, scourge, strap, gore, lacerate, wound, maim, mangle, mutilate

  5. to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible

    "threatened to hide the boys with his cane if he ever found them on his property again"

    similar: birch, cowhide, flagellate, flail, flog, horsewhip, lash, leather, rawhide, scourge, slash, switch, tan, thrash, whale, whip
    related: knout, quirt, strap, cut, flick, touch up, blackjack, cane, club, cudgel, fustigate, pistol-whip, bang, bop, box, bust, clap, clip, clobber, clout, crack, cuff, hit, knock, lam, paste, punch, slap, slug, smack, smite, sock, spank, swat, swipe, thwack, wallop, whack, bash, baste, bat, batter, beat, belabor, belt, bludgeon, buffet, bung, drub, fib (British), hammer, lace, lambaste, lather, lick, mangle, maul, paddle, pelt, pommel, pound, pummel, rough, slate, slog, thresh, thump, tromp, whop, whup, work over

Hide (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the outer covering of an animal removed for its commercial value

    "seal hides are used by Eskimos to make footwear, boats, shelters, bags, and clothing"

    similar: fur, leather, pelt, skin
    related: badger, beaver, chamois, chinchilla, ermine, fisher, fox, marten, mink, muskrat, otter, Persian lamb, rabbit, raccoon, sable, seal, bearskin, buckskin, calfskin, coonskin, cowhide, deerskin, doeskin, goatskin, horsehide, karakul, kidskin, kolinsky, lambskin, pigskin, rawhide, sealskin, sharkskin, sheep, sheepskin, snakeskin, fleece, mouton, alligator, crocodile, cordovan, morocco, patent leather, suede

  2. the hairless natural covering of an animal prepared for use

    "boots made of shiny alligator hide"

    similar: leather, skin
    related: coat, fleece, fur, pelt, alligator, antelope, buckskin, cabretta, calfskin, capeskin, chamois, cordovan, cowhide, crocodile, deerskin, doeskin, goatskin, horsehide, kid, kidskin, lambskin, morocco, ostrich, pigskin, seal, sharkskin, sheepskin, snakeskin, nubuck, patent leather, suede

Related Entry: Hid (verb)

Hid is a different word from Hide. The synonyms below are for hid, not for hide.

  1. to put into a hiding place

    "the thief had hidden the stolen jewelry under the floorboards"

    similar: buried, cached, concealed, ensconced, secreted
    related: hoarded, squirreled (away), stashed, entombed, interred
    opposite: displayed, exhibited
    near: bared, exposed, revealed, showed, uncovered, unmasked, unveiled, unwrapped, flaunted, paraded, showed off, disinterred, unearthed

  2. to keep secret or shut off from view

    "he tried to hide his criminal past"

    "she hid the cat's litter box behind a screen"

    similar: belied, blanketed, blotted out, cloaked, concealed, covered, curtained, disguised, enshrouded, masked, obscured, occulted, papered over, screened, shrouded, suppressed, veiled
    related: buried, camouflaged, covered (up), smothered, gilded, glossed (over), varnished, whitewashed, beclouded, bedimmed, befogged, blocked, clouded, darkened, eclipsed, obstructed, occluded, overcast, overshadowed, shaded
    opposite: bared, disclosed, displayed, divulged, exposed, revealed, showed, uncloaked, uncovered, unmasked, unveiled
    near: brought out, presented, clarified, illuminated, advertised, aired, broadcast, got out, proclaimed, publicized, published, spread

  3. to remain out of sight

    "he hid in the closet while his roommate lied to the probation officer"

    similar: holed up, lay, lurked, reposed, skulked, lay low, sat tight
    related: slunk, sneaked, avoided, eluded, evaded
    opposite: appeared
    near: came out, materialized, showed up, turned up

Related Entry: Hidden (verb)

Hidden is a different word from Hide. The synonyms below are for hidden, not for hide.

  1. to put into a hiding place

    "the thief had hidden the stolen jewelry under the floorboards"

    similar: buried, cached, concealed, ensconced, secreted
    related: hoarded, squirreled (away), stashed, entombed, interred
    opposite: displayed, exhibited
    near: bared, exposed, revealed, shown, uncovered, unmasked, unveiled, unwrapped, flaunted, paraded, shown off, disinterred, unearthed

  2. to keep secret or shut off from view

    "he tried to hide his criminal past"

    "she hid the cat's litter box behind a screen"

    similar: belied, blanketed, blotted out, cloaked, concealed, covered, curtained, disguised, enshrouded, masked, obscured, occulted, papered over, screened, shrouded, suppressed, veiled
    related: buried, camouflaged, covered (up), smothered, gilded, glossed (over), varnished, whitewashed, beclouded, bedimmed, befogged, blocked, clouded, darkened, eclipsed, obstructed, occluded, overcast, overshadowed, shaded
    opposite: bared, disclosed, displayed, divulged, exposed, revealed, shown, uncloaked, uncovered, unmasked, unveiled
    near: brought out, presented, clarified, illuminated, advertised, aired, broadcast, got out, proclaimed, publicized, published, spread

  3. to remain out of sight

    "he hid in the closet while his roommate lied to the probation officer"

    similar: holed up, lain, lurked, reposed, skulked, lain low, sat tight
    related: slunk, sneaked, avoided, eluded, evaded
    opposite: appeared
    near: come out, materialized, shown up, turned up

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Hide

The most common words with a similar meaning to Hide:

British: fib
bury, cache, conceal, ensconce, secrete, belie, blanket, blot out, cloak, cover, curtain, disguise, enshroud, mask, obscure, occult, paper over, screen, shroud, suppress, veil, hole up, lie, lurk, repose, skulk, lie low, sit tight, bash, baste, bat, batter, beat, belabor, belt, birch, bludgeon, buffet, bung up, club

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Hide

Words with the opposite meaning of Hide:

display, exhibit, bare, disclose, divulge, expose, reveal, show, uncloak, uncover, unmask, unveil, appear

Related Words for Hide

hoard, squirrel (away), stash, entomb, inter, camouflage, cover (up), smother, gild, gloss (over), varnish, whitewash, becloud, bedim, befog, block, cloud, darken, eclipse, obstruct, occlude, overcast, overshadow, shade, slink, sneak, avoid, elude, evade, assail

Near Antonyms of Hide

unwrap, flaunt, parade, show off, disinter, unearth, bring out, present, clarify, illuminate, advertise, air, broadcast, get out, proclaim, publicize, publish, spread, come out, materialize, show up, turn up

Word Forms of Hide

Inflections: hid, hidden, hiding, hided

Derived words: hider (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Hide

Middle English hiden, from Old English hȳdan; akin to Greek keuthein to conceal

First known use: before 12th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Hide

Words & Phrases Containing Hide

hide-and-seek, hide or hair, hide-and-go-seek, hide one's light under a bushel, save someone's hide

Frequently Asked Questions about Hide

What does "Hide" mean?

"Hide" means to put out of sight, secrete. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to put out of sight, secrete. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Hide"?

Other words for "Hide" include bury, cache, conceal, ensconce, secrete, belie, blanket and blot out. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Hide" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Hide"?

There are 223 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Hide". Common alternatives include bury, cache, conceal, ensconce, secrete, belie, blanket, blot out, cloak and cover.

What is the opposite of "Hide"?

Antonyms of "Hide" include display, exhibit, bare, disclose, divulge, expose, reveal and show. Near antonyms include unwrap, flaunt, parade and show off.

How do you use "Hide" in a sentence?

Examples of "Hide" in a sentence: "the thief had hidden the stolen jewelry under the floorboards"; "he tried to hide his criminal past"; "she hid the cat's litter box behind a screen".

Is "Hide" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Hide" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Hide" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Hide" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Hide"?

"Hide" is pronounced /ˈhīd/.