hide
gb/hˈaɪd/ us/hˈaɪd/
A2
English
~ 1700
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
Put or keep out of sight
To put something in a place where people cannot see or find it.
Usage pattern:
to hide [something] [somewhere]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'hide' with 'cover'. 'Cover' means to put something over another thing, but it may still be visible; 'hide' means to make it not seen at all.
Synonyms
conceal (Slightly more formal; often used in official or serious contexts.)
Antonyms
reveal (Means to make something known or visible.)
Collocations
hide a gift
|hide the truth
|hide money
|hide evidence
Themes
daily life
|safety
|secrecy
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She hid the letter in a drawer.
- He quickly hid the money under the mattress.
- They hid the keys so the children couldn’t reach them.
- I hid my phone behind the books.
- The cat hid its toy under the couch.
Learner examples
- I hide my phone in my bag.
- He hides the money in a box.
- She hides the book in her desk.
- We hide the keys in the drawer.
Verb
A2
action
2
Stay out of sight
To go to a place where people cannot see or find you, usually because you are afraid or do not want to be caught.
Usage pattern:
to hide from [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'hide' transitively when they mean 'hide oneself'; remember that 'hide' can be reflexive: 'He hid himself behind a tree.'
Synonyms
take cover (Implies hiding specifically for protection from harm.)
Antonyms
appear (Means to come into sight or become visible.)
Collocations
hide from police
|hide from danger
|hide from enemies
Themes
safety
|conflict
|crime
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The child hid behind the curtains during the game.
- They hid from the soldiers until nightfall.
- He hid in the basement when he heard footsteps.
- She hid under the bed during the storm.
Learner examples
- I hide from my brother.
- The dog hides from the rain.
- She hides behind the door.
- They hide in the small room.
Verb
B1
action
3
Keep secret or undisclosed
To not tell someone something because you want it to be a secret.
Usage pattern:
to hide [information/facts/feelings] from [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'hide information' with 'lie'. Hiding means not telling; lying means giving false information.
Synonyms
withhold (More formal; often used in legal or official contexts.)
Antonyms
disclose (Means to make information known, especially formally or publicly.)
Collocations
hide feelings
|hide the truth
|hide evidence
Themes
communication
|secrecy
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She tried to hide her disappointment.
- He hid the truth from his parents.
- They hid their feelings for years.
- The company was accused of hiding important safety data.
Learner examples
- I hide my feelings from my friends.
- He hides the truth from his mother.
- She hides her anger at work.
- They hide the news from him.
Noun
B2
entity
4
Animal skin for leather use
The skin of an animal used to make leather.
Synonyms
pelt (Refers to the skin of a furry animal with its hair still on.)
Collocations
cow hide
|buffalo hide
Themes
materials
|fashion
|animals
|clothing
Examples
- The rug was made from cow hide.
- They traded buffalo hides for food.
- The craftsman used deer hide to make the gloves.
Learner examples
- The bag is made of cow hide.
- We saw a buffalo hide in the shop.
- This jacket is made from deer hide.
Noun
informal
B2
entity
5
Person's body/skin (informal)
An informal way to talk about a person's body or skin, often about keeping it safe or being hurt.
Synonyms
skin (Neutral and more common; 'hide' is more colorful and informal.)
Collocations
save your hide
|beat someone's hide
Themes
body
|informal
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- You’d better run if you want to save your hide.
- He risked his hide to help them.
- She gave him a slap on the hide.
Learner examples
- He wants to save his hide.
- She hit him on the hide.
- I will protect my hide.
Grammar
Dictionary form
hide
IPA
GB/hˈaɪd/
US/hˈaɪd/
Syllables & stress
hide (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (hide)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: hide
- Plural: hide, hides
Verb
- Base: hide
- 3rd Person Singular: hides
- Present Participle: hiding
- Past: hid
- Past Participle: hidden
Word family
Forms
hides
noun
hiding
verb
hid
verb
hidden
verb
Related words
hider
noun
hideout
noun
Advanced or less common
hideaway
noun
Highlights
- Irregular past: hid Verb
- Irregular past participle: hidden Verb
Expressions
hide away
1/hˈaɪd əwˈeɪ/
phrasal verb
Stay in private place
To go somewhere quiet and private and stay there, often so people will not see you.
Examples
- After the scandal, he hid away in his country house for months.
- She likes to hide away with a good book on weekends.
hide one's head in the sand
1/hˈaɪd wˈʌnz hˈɛd ˈɪn ðə sˈænd/
idiom
Ignore an obvious problem
To refuse to think about or deal with a problem because it is unpleasant.
Examples
- You can’t just hide your head in the sand—this issue won’t go away.
- He tends to hide his head in the sand when faced with financial trouble.
hide out
1/hˈaɪd ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
Stay hidden from pursuers
To stay in a secret place so that people who are looking for you cannot find you.
Examples
- The thieves hid out in an abandoned building.
- He’s hiding out at a friend’s place until things calm down.
save someone's hide
1/sˈeɪv sˈʌmwˌʌnz hˈaɪd/
idiom
informal
Protect from harm/trouble (informal)
To stop someone from being hurt, punished, or getting into trouble.
Examples
- Thanks for lending me that money—you really saved my hide!
- His quick thinking saved her hide during the meeting.