trek

1 of 2

verb

trekked; trekking

intransitive verb

1
: to make one's way arduously
broadly : journey
2
chiefly South Africa
a
: to travel by ox wagon
b
: to migrate by ox wagon or in a train of such
trekker noun

trek

2 of 2

noun

1
: a trip or movement especially when involving difficulties or complex organization : an arduous journey
2
chiefly South Africa : a journey by ox wagon
especially : an organized migration by a group of settlers

Examples of trek in a Sentence

Verb We had to trek up six flights of stairs with our groceries. On their vacation last year they went trekking in the Himalayas. We trekked across the country in her old car. Noun Our car broke down and we had a long trek back to town. a trek across the country
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The Walking Dead spinoff The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Norman Reedus reprises his role from The Walking Dead in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, which sees his titular crossbow-wielding character trekking through France. Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024 Logistics are a headache in some places — officials have gone by horseback, taken boats, flown by helicopter and trekked for hours to bring ballots to voters. Sui-Lee Wee, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2024 But not everyone can trek to the East Bay for this hands-on, immersive smell experience. Katie Lauer, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2024 So my enterprising colleague John Wilkerson trekked up to Wilmington to give you an inside view on how a key judge viewed arguments in the first court test of the new Medicare drug price negotiation program. Rachel Cohrs Reprints, STAT, 1 Feb. 2024 Equipped with cameras and nets, a group of scientists trekked into the mountains of southwestern China. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2024 The epic saga follows Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Moussa (Moustapha Fall), 16-year-old cousins who embark from Senegal toward Italy, first traveling westward by bus through Mali and Niger and then, fake passports in hand, trekking north across the Sahara toward Tripoli and the Mediterranean on foot. Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2024 Best Supporting Actor Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer) Hoping that his third Oscar nom will be the charm, he was feted with the Santa Barbara Film Fest’s Maltin Modern Master Award on Feb. 9; Rob Lowe and co-star Cillian Murphy trekked to the American Riviera to help celebrate him. Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Feb. 2024 Whether customers trek to Treppendorf, where Thomann's only physical store is located, or engage in video chat online, the customer experience is consistent. Peggy Anne Salz, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024
Noun
Cave is expected to perform songs from his extensive catalog on the trek, presented by Billions. Lars Brandle, Billboard, 7 Mar. 2024 On Wednesday morning, Cantu was transported from the Polunsky Unit in Livingston to the Huntsville Unit — a 44-mile trek. María Luisa Paúl, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024 The only human access is along the Lost Coast Trail, a 24-mile beach trek that generally takes three days, requires a permit and is impassable during storms and high tides. Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024 Guests will then head to Taormina, Syracuse, and the Aeolian Islands of Lipari and Stromboli for volcano treks, winery visits, and slope-side lunches. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 26 Feb. 2024 The Burleson's recently went on a trek to learn more about the Tulsa massacre and trace its connections to Atoya's family history. Analisa Novak, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2024 The Walking Dead: World Beyond Taking place a decade after the onset of the zombie apocalypse, The Walking Dead: World Beyond follows a group of four teenagers on a cross-country trek to reconnect with and save their father. Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024 His absences have grown a bit more pointed, however, since Foreigner launched its lengthy farewell tour last year (the trek resumes in March with dates scheduled through early June). Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2024 The upcoming trek marks the first time Teenage Fanclub have performed in North America in five years. Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trek.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Afrikaans, from Dutch trecken to pull, haul, migrate; akin to Old High German trechan to pull

Noun

Afrikaans, from Dutch treck pull, haul, from trecken

First Known Use

Verb

1835, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1849, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of trek was in 1835

Dictionary Entries Near trek

Cite this Entry

“Trek.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trek. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

trek

1 of 2 verb
trekked; trekking
1
chiefly South African : to travel or migrate by ox wagon or in a train of such wagons
2
: to make one's way slowly and painfully
trekker noun

trek

2 of 2 noun
1
chiefly South African : an organized journey or migration of a group of settlers traveling by ox wagon
2
: a slow or difficult journey
Etymology

Verb

from Afrikaans trek, "to travel by ox wagon," from Dutch trecken "to haul, pull"

More from Merriam-Webster on trek

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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