trekked; trekking
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
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
Jackie Charniga, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
This can include observing a whale migration; trekking to be in the path of totality for a solar eclipse; chasing the Aurora Borealis; and other fleeting moments of possible magic.
—Mindy Sink, Denver Post, 7 Dec. 2025
Anna Fiorentino, Travel + Leisure, 11 Dec. 2025
Bianchi and the others were marched up the peninsula to POW camps in the north under brutal conditions in a 65-mile trek infamously known as the Bataan Death March.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trek
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Verb
In 2015, the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, first reported on James Robertson, a 56-year-old factory worker who started trekking 21 miles on foot to his $11 an hour job in suburban Rochester Hills after his 1988 Honda Accord broke down.
—Jackie Charniga, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
This can include observing a whale migration; trekking to be in the path of totality for a solar eclipse; chasing the Aurora Borealis; and other fleeting moments of possible magic.
—Mindy Sink, Denver Post, 7 Dec. 2025
Noun
So this fall and winter, do yourself a favor and listen to professional mountain guides before your next trek.
—Anna Fiorentino, Travel + Leisure, 11 Dec. 2025
Bianchi and the others were marched up the peninsula to POW camps in the north under brutal conditions in a 65-mile trek infamously known as the Bataan Death March.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trek
Cite this Entry
“Trek.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trek. Accessed 14 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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 noun1
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"
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