hedge
gb/hˈɛd͡ʒ/ us/hˈɛd͡ʒ/
B1
English
~ 5900
sövény, kertel, bebiztosít, fedez, biztosíték, sövényt ültet, sövénnyel szegélyez, fedezeti ügylet, fedezeti pozíció
NOUN
B1
1
sövény
B1
Usage pattern:
a hedge around [a place]
A tall hedge separates their garden from the street.
Egy magas sövény választja el a kertjüket az utcától.
We planted a hedge along the driveway for more privacy.
Sövényt ültettünk a kocsibejáró mentén, hogy kevésbé lehessen belátni a telkünkre.
The ball rolled under the hedge and into the neighbor’s yard.
Birds were nesting deep inside the thick hedge.
They cut a small gap in the hedge to make a path.
Learner examples
There is a green hedge around the house.
Zöld sövény veszi körül a házat.
They walk beside the hedge every morning.
Minden reggel a sövény mellett sétálnak.
We want to plant a hedge between our yard and the road.
The dog ran through a hole in the hedge.
He hid behind the hedge so no one could see him.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "hedge" with "bush" or "tree". A hedge is usually many bushes or small trees planted in a line to make a boundary, not a single plant.
Meaning
row of bushes forming a fence
Collocations
tall hedge
|neatly trimmed hedge
|garden hedge
|live hedge
|a hedge of [bushes]
|hedge along the road
Synonyms
bushes (More general; refers to the plants themselves, not specifically arranged as a boundary.)
|
shrubbery (More formal or literary; can mean an area with many shrubs, not always in a line.)
Antonyms
fence (A solid or built barrier, often wood or metal, rather than plants.)
Themes
nature
|home
|daily life
|housing
Definition
A long line of bushes or small trees that grows close together and marks the edge of a garden, field, or road.
A line of bushes or small trees growing close together, used as a fence, boundary, or screen.
VERB
B2
2
kertel
B2
Usage pattern:
to hedge on/about [a question / an issue]
When reporters asked about the layoffs, the CEO hedged and changed the subject.
Amikor az újságírók a leépítésekről kérdezték, a vezérigazgató kertelt, majd témát váltott.
He kept hedging on the price instead of giving a straight number.
Egyfolytában kertelt az árral kapcsolatban, ahelyett hogy egy konkrét összeget mondott volna.
Stop hedging and just tell me whether you agree or not.
The minister hedged around the question of raising taxes.
She hedged in her reply, saying it was "too early to say."
Learner examples
The politician hedged when they asked about the plan.
A politikus kertelt, amikor a tervről kérdezték.
Please answer. Do not hedge.
Kérem, válaszoljon. Ne kerteljen.
He hedged about his future plans.
She hedged and did not say yes or no.
The manager hedged on the question of money.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "hedge" as a verb only means "to put bushes around something". In conversations, it very often means avoiding a clear answer. It is also different from "hesitate": you can hesitate but still give a clear answer, while hedging keeps the answer unclear.
Meaning
avoid giving a clear answer
Collocations
hedge the answer
|hedge on the question
|hedge around the issue
|hedge when asked
|hedge and hesitate
Synonyms
dodge (More informal; suggests actively trying to avoid a question.)
|
evade (More formal; often used about avoiding responsibility or a direct answer.)
Antonyms
state (To say something clearly and directly.)
|
commit (To make a clear promise or decision instead of avoiding it.)
Themes
communication
|work
|politics
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To not answer a question in a clear way, usually because you do not want to say yes or no.
To speak or respond in an indirect or unclear way in order to avoid giving a direct answer, commitment, or opinion.
VERB
B2
3
bebiztosít
B2
fedez
C1
Usage pattern:
to hedge against [a risk / something]
Many investors hedge against inflation by buying real estate.
Sok befektető ingatlanvásárlással biztosítja be magát az infláció ellen.
We decided to hedge our risk by signing contracts in both dollars and euros.
Úgy döntöttünk, hogy dollárban és euróban is kötünk szerződéseket, hogy fedezzük a kockázatunkat.
The company hedged against fuel price rises by fixing its costs in advance.
You can hedge your position with an options contract.
They are hedging against currency swings before entering the new market.
Learner examples
Some people hedge against inflation by buying gold.
Vannak, akik aranyvásárlással biztosítják be magukat az infláció ellen.
The company hedged its risk with a second deal.
A cég egy második üzlettel biztosította be magát.
We want to hedge against big price changes.
They hedged by making two different plans.
She hedged her investment with another product.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with the meaning of "hedge" as a plant. In business or finance, "to hedge" almost always means taking a step to reduce risk, especially in phrases like "hedge against inflation" or "hedge your position."
Meaning
protect yourself against risk
Collocations
hedge against inflation
|hedge against risk
|hedge your position
|hedge currency exposure
|hedge future costs
Synonyms
insure (Often used about buying insurance; more formal and specific.)
|
protect (Very general; does not always suggest a financial or strategic action.)
Antonyms
expose (To leave unprotected or open to risk.)
|
speculate (To take high risk, often for possible high profit, instead of limiting risk.)
Themes
business
|finance
|risk
Definition
To do something extra so that, if things go badly, you will lose less money or have less risk.
To protect yourself against possible loss or negative results, especially in business or finance, by taking another action that reduces the risk.
NOUN
B2
4
biztosíték
B2
Usage pattern:
a hedge against [something]
Buying a small apartment was their hedge against rising rents.
Egy kis lakás megvásárlása biztosítékot jelentett számukra az emelkedő bérleti díjakkal szemben.
For many families, extra savings are a hedge against job loss.
Sok család számára a plusz megtakarítások biztosítékot jelentenek az állás elvesztése esetére.
Diversifying your skills can be a hedge against changes in the job market.
The company sees this new product as a hedge against falling demand in its main business.
Gold is often used as a hedge against economic uncertainty.
Learner examples
Her savings are a hedge against hard times.
A megtakarításai biztosítékot jelentenek a nehéz időkre.
They bought land as a hedge against the future.
Földet vásároltak biztosítékként a jövőre nézve.
Having two jobs is his hedge against losing one.
The extra plan is a hedge against failure.
Many people see gold as a hedge against bad markets.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "a hedge" is always a plant. In business or planning, "a hedge" often means protection, usually seen in the fixed phrase "a hedge against [something]" (for example, "a hedge against inflation").
Meaning
protection against possible loss
Collocations
a hedge against inflation
|a hedge against risk
|as a hedge, they [did something]
|used as a hedge
|a hedge for the future
Synonyms
protection (Very general; does not always focus on financial or risk-related situations.)
|
safeguard (More formal; emphasizes guarding against harm or loss.)
Antonyms
gamble (Taking a chance with no protection against loss.)
|
exposure (The state of being unprotected from risk.)
Themes
business
|finance
|planning
|core_vocabulary
Definition
An action or thing that protects you from losing too much if something bad happens.
Something, such as an action, arrangement, or investment, that is used to reduce possible loss, danger, or risk.
VERB
C1
5
Usage pattern:
to hedge [a garden / a field / a path]
They decided to hedge the front yard instead of building a fence.
Úgy döntöttek, hogy kerítés építése helyett sövényt ültetnek az előkert köré.
The narrow lane was hedged on both sides with tall bushes.
A keskeny utat mindkét oldalon magas bokrokból álló sövény szegélyezte.
The old farmhouse is hedged around with rose bushes.
We plan to hedge the property line next spring.
A low wall, hedged with lavender, leads to the front door.
Learner examples
They will hedge the garden next year.
Jövőre sövényt ültetnek a kert köré.
The road is hedged on both sides.
Az utat mindkét oldalon sövény szegélyezi.
The house is hedged with green plants.
We want to hedge the field instead of using a wall.
The path was hedged with small trees.
Common mistake:
This literal gardening meaning is less common than the noun. Learners sometimes try to use this sense in business contexts, but in business "hedge" usually means reducing risk, not planting bushes.
Meaning
surround or border with a hedge
Collocations
hedge the garden
|hedged on all sides
|hedged with boxwood
|a path hedged with roses
Synonyms
border (To mark the edge; does not always mean using plants.)
|
enclose (More general; means to surround or close in, not necessarily with plants.)
Antonyms
clear (To remove plants or barriers from around something.)
Themes
nature
|home
|housing
Definition
To put a line of bushes or small trees around something so it has a hedge.
To plant or maintain a hedge around or along the edge of a piece of land, path, or building.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
6
Usage pattern:
to put on a hedge against [price changes]
The airline used a fuel hedge to protect itself from rising oil prices.
A légitársaság üzemanyagár-fedezeti ügyletet kötött, hogy megvédje magát az olajár emelkedésétől.
They set up a currency hedge to manage their exposure to the euro.
Devizafedezeti ügyletet kötöttek, hogy kezeljék az euróval szembeni kitettségüket.
Without a proper hedge, the company was fully exposed to interest-rate movements.
Investors sometimes pay high fees for a hedge that limits their downside risk.
The fund added a hedge in the futures market before the report came out.
Learner examples
The company used a hedge to limit its risk.
A vállalat fedezeti ügyletet alkalmazott, hogy csökkentse a kockázatát.
They bought a currency hedge to feel safer.
Devizafedezeti ügyletet kötöttek, hogy nagyobb biztonságban érezzék magukat.
An oil hedge can help an airline when prices go up.
Without a hedge, they could lose a lot of money.
The bank sold them a hedge against price changes.
Common mistake:
Learners may hear "hedge" in financial news and think it means only a plant. In finance, it is a specific deal or contract that protects against price changes, often seen in phrases like "currency hedge" or "fuel hedge."
Meaning
financial tool that limits risk
Collocations
currency hedge
|interest-rate hedge
|put on a hedge
|remove a hedge
|a hedge in the futures market
Synonyms
risk management position (More technical; clearly limited to finance and professional contexts.)
Antonyms
unhedged position (A financial position left without protection against price changes.)
Themes
finance
|business
Definition
A special type of financial deal that protects a person or company from losing money when prices change.
In finance, a transaction or instrument, such as a futures or options contract, used to reduce the risk of price movements in an asset.
Grammar
Dictionary form
hedge
IPA
GB/hˈɛd͡ʒ/
US/hˈɛd͡ʒ/
Syllables & stress
hedge (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (hedge)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: hedge
- Plural: hedges
Verb
- Base: hedge
- 3rd Person Singular: hedges
- Present Participle: hedging
- Past: hedged
Word family
Forms
hedges
noun
hedging
verb
hedged
verb
Related words
hedgerow
noun
Expressions
be hedged in
1/bˈi hˈɛd͡ʒd ˈɪn/
idiom
feel limited by many rules
To feel restricted or controlled by many rules, limits, or conditions.
Examples
- Teachers often feel hedged in by strict testing requirements.
- The new project is hedged in with so many regulations that progress is slow.
hedge against inflation
1/hˈɛd͡ʒ əɡˈɛnst ɪnflˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
protect money from price rises
To do something, usually invest in something, so that your money will not lose too much value when prices go up.
Examples
- Many people buy property as a way to hedge against inflation.
- Gold is often seen as a way to hedge against inflation during uncertain times.
hedge against something
1/hˈɛd͡ʒ əɡˈɛnst sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
protect against a specific risk
To take action so that, if a certain bad thing happens, you will not lose so much or be hurt so badly.
Examples
- She took out extra insurance to hedge against accidents on the trip.
- The company is hedging against supply problems by using several different suppliers.
hedge around something
1/hˈɛd͡ʒ ɚˈaʊnd sˈʌmθɪŋ/
phrasal verb
avoid a subject with conditions
To talk about something in an unclear way, adding many notes or conditions, instead of speaking simply and directly.
Examples
- The lawyer hedged around the issue instead of giving a clear answer.
- They kept hedging around the question of who was responsible.
hedge in
1/hˈɛd͡ʒ ˈɪn/
phrasal verb
surround and restrict movement
To surround a person or thing so closely that they cannot move or act freely.
Examples
- The small garden is hedged in by tall walls on every side.
- She felt hedged in by all the rules at her new job.
hedge your bets
1/hˈɛd͡ʒ jˈʊɹ bˈɛts/
idiom
support several options to be safe
To try to protect yourself from loss or being wrong by choosing more than one option at the same time.
Examples
- We decided to hedge our bets and applied to several universities, not just one.
- Investors often hedge their bets by spreading their money across different markets.
- He hedged his bets by keeping his old job while starting the new business.
hedge fund
1/hˈɛd͡ʒ fˈʌnd/
fixed phrase
Private high-risk investment fund
A private investment company that tries to make big profits using risky methods.
Examples
- He works for a hedge fund in New York.
- Hedge funds often use complex strategies.
hedge fund
2/hˈɛd͡ʒ fˈʌnd/
fixed phrase
technical
type of high-risk investment fund
A special investment fund for rich people or big investors that uses many complex methods, including hedging, to try to make high profits.
Examples
- He works as an analyst at a large hedge fund in New York.
- During the crisis, several hedge funds lost significant amounts of money.