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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Seek Adventure Challenge yourselves by hiking Mount Kilimanjaro, a dormant volcano in Tanzania; trekking mountain gorillas in Rwanda or Uganda; flying in a hot air balloon over the Masai Mara; or zip-lining over Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls. Karin Jones, Travel + Leisure, 4 Sep. 2025 Natural Habitat Adventures reports that its gorilla trekking trips are about 50 percent ahead year-over-year, and luxury travel experts Black Tomato have seen its Rwanda trips increase 50 percent since 2019, with gorilla trekking the main motivator for its clients. Gaby Keiderling, Robb Report, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
Other ways to experience the falls include the Macuco Safari, which sends you on a Jeep ride through the rainforest, followed by a speedboat ride down the river, and a Full Moon Walking Tour, a nighttime trek to see the rare lunar rainbow. Jennifer Kester, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025 David Gilmour’s 2024 Luck and Strange Concerts tour was definitely one of the most memorable classic rock treks of recent years, showcasing one of the greatest guitarists of all time performing from both the Pink Floyd songbook and his own mighty solo catalog. Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for trek

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Trek.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trek. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.

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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