hill

noun \ ˈhil \

|Updated on: 4 Jun 2018

Examples: hill in a Sentence

Definition of hill

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

See hill defined for English-language learners

See hill defined for kids

Examples of hill in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of hill from the Web

Beneath a hill not far away from the amusements, Tencent, an internet giant, has finished excavating a bomb-proof cavern with five massive entrances.

— The Economist, "One of China’s poorest provinces wants to be a tech hub," 31 May 2018
In the rugged hills above Chatsworth, as many as 100 trucks a day pour tons of construction debris into a steep ravine.

— louis sahagun, latimes.com, "To build his 'big, beautiful park,' this landowner is filling a canyon with debris. Critics say he built a dump," 31 May 2018
With a population of 3,000 and a considerable sheep-to-person ratio, the small Somerset town of Bruton might seem sleepy at first glance–but this rural area of rolling hills and rustic storefronts is anything but tired.

— jaimie potters, Harper's BAZAAR, "This is The Small British Town You Haven’t Heard of–But Need to Visit," 31 May 2018
During a Group of Seven summit in Sicily, rather than walk 700 yards up a small hill for a photo op, Trump followed behind other leaders in his signature golf cart.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "Trump, fast-food lover and exercise avoider, tells nation about importance of fitness," 30 May 2018
Los Angeles is a big city, but there are all these beautiful hills and canyons.

— jen ortiz, Marie Claire, "Alisha Boe Loves a Good Cry," 30 May 2018
During a Group of Seven summit in Sicily, rather than walk 700 yards up a small hill for a photo op, Trump followed behind other leaders in his signature golf cart.

— william wan, chicagotribune.com, "Trump, fast-food lover and exercise avoider, tells nation about importance of fitness," 30 May 2018
Level 11 could feel like your cruising downhill, while level 12 or 13 would instantly plant you on a medium hill.

— grace dickinson, Philly.com, "Which Philly-area spin studio classes are worth the hype and heavy price tag?," 29 May 2018
Wofford stepped over to Clay, a stranger in a car, with driving advice when Clay was spinning all wrong trying to crest one of the many hills in his neighborhood.

— joe robertson, kansascity, "A partly-mowed lawn and chairs readied for guests — death of KC man mystifies family," 29 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hill.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of hill

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

hill Synonyms

Other Geology Terms

anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, mesa, sedimentary, silt, swale

hill

verb

Definition of hill

hilled; hilling; hills

transitive verb

1 : to form into a heap

2 : to draw earth around the roots or base of

—

hiller

noun

Examples of hill in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of hill from the Web

BOYS SWIMMING Nonleague TESORO 131, SAN JUAN HILLS 39 SADDLEBACK VALLEY CHR. 89, ST.

— dan albano, Orange County Register, "Swim: Tesoro boys, girls pace Thursday leaderboard," 13 Apr. 2017

First Known Use of hill

1581

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

hill Synonyms

Synonyms

bank, mound;

Related Words

heap, pile, pyramid, stack;

embank;

bunch, bundle, clump, lump, mass, wad;

accumulate, amass, assemble, collect, conglomerate, gather, group;

Hill

biographical name \ ˈhil \

Definition of Hill

Ambrose Powell 1825–1865 American Confederate general

Hill

biographical name

Definition of Hill

Archibald Vivian 1886–1977 English physiologist

Hill

biographical name

Definition of Hill

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

Hill

biographical name

Definition of Hill

Sir Rowland 1795–1879 English postal reformer

HILL Defined for English Language Learners

hill

noun

Definition of hill for English Language Learners

: a usually rounded area of land that is higher than the land around it but that is not as high as a mountain
: an area of sloping ground on a road, path, etc.
: a pile of something