hill

1 of 2

noun

ˈhil 

1

: a usually rounded natural elevation of land lower than a mountain

2

: an artificial heap or mound (as of earth)

3

: several seeds or plants planted in a group rather than a row

4

: slope, incline

hill

2 of 2

verb

hilled; hilling; hills

transitive verb

1

: to form into a heap

2

: to draw earth around the roots or base of

hiller noun

Synonyms

Noun

• cock
• heap
• mound
• mountain
• pile
• stack

Verb

• bank
• mound

Examples of hill in a Sentence

Noun

She watched the sun set behind the hills.

The house was built at the very top of the hill.

Our driveway is a long, steep hill.

He came barreling down the hill at 65 miles per hour.

The plows came and cleared the streets, forming a hill of snow on the street corner.

Verb

hilled peat moss around the rosebushes to protect them from the freeze

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

History From a historical perspective, Biden has a hill to climb, but not an impossible one. —Gary Langer, ABC News, 5 May 2024

While carrying her daughter Grace up a hill, Bindi experienced a sudden pain that forced her to the ground. —Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 4 May 2024

The rolling hills were elevated enough to get cooling western breezes, with good soil and a good water supply by tapping into the water table not far below. —Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 May 2024

And while these wonders exist all over the world — from the lush hills of Hawaii to the rugged coast of Iceland — there's no denying that some waterfalls are a little extra special, and perhaps slightly more beautiful than the rest. —Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 4 May 2024

The walk to the beach takes around 15 minutes, and the sight of the ocean ahead, in a dip between two green hills, will light a fire under anybody. —Jo Rodgers, Vogue, 3 May 2024

The gas engine performs the more energy-intensive driving tasks, including accelerating and powering up hills. —Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 3 May 2024

At the archaeological site of Tulum, a large construction site sits atop a hill overlooking the Caribbean Sea. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024

The two men had explored other ideas, including hiring dancers, and filming in a location that resembled the green hills in the art for Greene’s new album, but that proved difficult because of time and financial constraints. —Wendy Lee, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024

Verb

Other aggressive turkeys are a common sight in the Oakland hills a few miles east, where some have been known to mix it up with passing bicyclists and hikers. —Steve Rubenstein, SFChronicle.com, 21 May 2020

Learn about planting times, using fertilizer and lime, and when to prune, pinch, hill up or tie up plants. —oregonlive, 28 Feb. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English hyll; akin to Latin collis hill, culmen top

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing hill

• a hill of beans
• hill climb
• hill mynah
• over-the-hill

Kids Definition

hill

1 of 2 noun

ˈhil 

1

: a usually rounded height of land lower than a mountain

2

: an artificial heap or mound (as of earth)

3

: several seeds or plants planted in a group rather than a row

a hill of beans

hill

2 of 2 verb

1

: to form into a heap

2

: to draw earth around the roots or base of

Biographical Definition

Hill 1 of 4

biographical name (1)

ˈhil 

Ambrose Powell 1825–1865 American Confederate general

Hill

2 of 4

biographical name (2)

Archibald Vivian 1886–1977 English physiologist

Hill

3 of 4

biographical name (3)

James Jerome 1838–1916 American (Canadian-born) financier

Hill

4 of 4

biographical name (4)

Sir Rowland 1795–1879 English postal reformer