trek
Americanverb (used without object)
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to travel or migrate slowly or with difficulty, often through rough or unsettled territory.
He managed to escape from a Siberian labor camp and trekked to Iran, a three-year journey.
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to hike long distances as a recreational activity, especially over rough terrain.
He's trekked through the Himalayas and summited Mt. Kilimanjaro.
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to make a short but difficult trip on foot.
We trekked back to our hotel in the pouring rain.
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South Africa. to travel by ox wagon.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a slow or difficult journey, hike, or trip.
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South Africa.
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a migration or expedition, especially by ox wagon.
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a stage of such a journey, between one stopping place and the next.
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noun
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a long and often difficult journey
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a journey or stage of a journey, esp a migration by ox wagon
verb
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(intr) to make a trek
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(tr) (of an ox, etc) to draw (a load)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of trek
First recorded in 1845–50; from Afrikaans and Dutch noun trek “a tug, pull, march”; verb from Afrikaans trek “to draw, pull, migrate,” from Dutch trekken
Explanation
Want to go on a trek through the mountains? Make sure you have good shoes, drinking water, and snacks. A trek is a long and difficult journey. The word trek implies an extended trip that is hard — a climb up a mountain or a journey through dense forests. In Star Trek, the crew of the Enterprise is on a journey through space that will last a long time. You wouldn't say that you took a trek to the corner grocery unless you had to fight through three feet of snow to get there.
Vocabulary lists containing trek
President Obama's Farewell Address
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Stargirl
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Beam Me Up: Talking About Star Trek
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But those recruits then need to decide whether to make the cross-state trek to work or relocate; the latter option means staring down bidding wars, pricey homes and high rents.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026
Make the trek across Wilshire Boulevard to the wine bar, and watch a film or special guest speaker in the museum’s new 300-seat theater.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
Smoke’N Ash BBQ – A bit of a trek from downtown, but absolutely worth it.
From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026
Its name is quite a trek too - King Charles III England Coast Path - but for the first time it creates a continuous trail, allowing walkers to explore England's shoreline step by step.
From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026
“Thank you for accompanying us on our trek this evening. It’s nice to know that such a beautiful rose can use her thorns effectively.”
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
