What does hitchhiked mean?
Hitchhiked is the past tense and past participle of hitchhike, meaning to travel in a car, van, truck, or other vehicle driven by someone who is not a professional passenger service. The traveller usually asks a driver for a ride, offering company or help in return for transport part of the way to a destination. Hitchhiking has strong associations with youthful adventure, inexpensive travel, roadside landscapes, and encounters with strangers. It became especially prominent during periods of widespread car ownership and inexpensive motoring, when young travellers used it to cross countries. Today it is less common because of safety concerns, restricted access to many vehicles, and the availability of public transport and inexpensive long-distance bus services. The word can also convey the informal, unconventional character of a journey undertaken without a prearranged ticket or fixed itinerary.
verbTo travel in a vehicle driven by a stranger who has agreed to take the traveller part of the way, usually in exchange for company, help, or a contribution towards fuel.
- To obtain a free or partly free ride by asking passing motorists to take one part of the way to one's destination.
"After missing the last bus, she hitchhiked home with a friendly truck driver."
"They hitchhiked through France and slept beside the road on several nights."
"In his memoirs, the traveller recalled hitchhiked rides that brought him far beyond his original route."
Hitchhiking turns a roadside gesture into a journey shaped by chance encounters, shared directions, and unexpected generosity.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hitchhiked come from?
The verb combines the older word hitch, meaning to attach or fasten, with hike, formerly used for a long journey made on foot. The compound developed during the early 20th century, when it referred to obtaining a ride by walking and then joining a travelling vehicle. Both components are of English origin, although the exact date and first attestation of the compound vary across historical sources.
Related word forms
How hitchhiked is actually used
The word is especially associated with travel by young people in the mid-20th century, when hitchhiking was a common form of low-cost transport. It remains informal, and attempting it can involve practical and personal-safety considerations.