side hustle

noun

variants or less commonly side-hustle
plural side hustles also side-hustles
: work performed for income supplementary to one's primary job
These days, lots of people have a side hustle to help them earn extra income, develop new skills, become a business owner and quit their day job.Kitsap Sun
The best part of using a blog as a side hustle is the work you put in now will continue to pay off well into the future.Emory Wheel (Emory University)
Want to learn a new skill you've had your eyes on for quite some time? Or perhaps you want to take up a new hobby that you can eventually turn into a side hustle?Jan Cortes
We all know that millennials love a good side hustle—to fuel both their passions and their wallets.Alissa Carpenter

Examples of side hustle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Weeks later, Gaither was outed for her racy side hustle. Adam Sabes, Fox News, 3 Nov. 2023 The first Black American woman to own a Champagne brand, Robinson is a prime example of someone who managed to turn her side hustle into a full-on business. Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2023 Either way, her many side hustles are definitely bringing in plenty of extra income for Mary and her family. Sarah Felbin, Women's Health, 5 Sep. 2023 While 44% of those polled by H&R Block were retired, 38% were still working full-time and some had part-time gigs or a side hustle. Hillary Hoffower, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2023 Patton, 30, who studied theater and screenwriting in college, says that while she's been chasing her acting dreams over the past decade, she's also done plenty of commercials and side hustles to bring in money. Gillian Telling, Peoplemag, 26 Sep. 2023 Workers often rely on various options for paying their bills while on strike, including personal savings, side hustles and strike funds, though programs such as the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s emergency assistance program call for applicants to have urgent financial need. Brian Contreras, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2023 On Wednesday, Netflix executives shed a bit more light on its plans, indicating that the company is not simply in mobile gaming as a side hustle to help prevent subscriber churn, but wants to develop gaming into a marquee part of its service that can lift the overall business. Byrachyl Jones, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2023 Michael kept other side hustles to pay for the mortgage and personal expenses. Alisa Tang, Washington Post, 23 July 2023 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of side hustle was in 1950

Dictionary Entries Near side hustle

Cite this Entry

“Side hustle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/side%20hustle. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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