trek

trek — verb

1. to travel a great distance on foot across wild land like mountain ranges, thick

1.verbintransitiveB1
Definition

to travel a great distance on foot across wild land like mountain ranges, thick woods, or hilly ground, often taking several hours or even days

Example

Every summer, the group treks through the mountains of Taiwan for two weeks.

trek + through + [natural area]

Rachid and his friends plan to trek across the national park next month.

trek across [area]

Common collocations
  • trek through the mountains
  • trek across the desert
  • trek up the hill
  • trek for hours
  • trek with a backpack
Synonyms
  • hike

    suggests a shorter, often less difficult walk for pleasure; trek implies greater distance and challenge

  • tramp

    emphasises walking with heavy steps, often when tired; less commonly used

Antonyms
  • ride

    travelling by vehicle instead of on foot

Grammar Patterns

trek + through/across/up + [natural area]

trek + for + [duration]

Usage Note

The past tense and past participle are trekked (double k). This verb is often followed by through, across, up, or in to show direction or location.

Common Mistakes

We trekked to the supermarket.
We trekked through the forest.
Trek suggests a long walk across natural areas, not a short trip to a shop.

trek — noun

Word family

  • trekker
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Hike, tramp, trudge, and march all describe walking, but trek stands apart for length and challenge. A hike is a walk for pleasure on marked trails, often lasting a few hours. Trek adds real difficulty — days of walking over rough ground with heavy gear. Tramp means walking with heavy, tired steps, and trudge emphasises slowness from exhaustion or heavy loads, but both are shorter in duration. March is organised walking, often in a group following orders. If you say 'we hiked for an hour,' that is a short outing. If you say 'we trekked for three days across the mountains,' you mean a serious journey requiring strength and planning.

hike ↗tramp ↗trudge ↗march ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • a long trek
  • a hard trek
  • a daily trek
  • a mountain trek
  • a week-long trek
  • go on a trek
  • make a trek

Adverbs

  • trekked uphill
  • trekked slowly
  • trekked carefully
  • trekked together

Phrases

  • trek in the mountains
  • trek through the forest
  • trek across the desert
  • trek to the summit

Prepositions

  • trek through
  • trek across
  • trek up
  • trek down
  • trek from
  • trek to
  • trek into

Etymology

AfrikaansDutchEnglish

Trek comes from Afrikaans (a language of South Africa), which took it from Dutch 'trekken' meaning 'to pull or travel'. It was first used in English in the mid-1800s during the Great Trek, when Dutch settlers travelled long distances across South Africa by ox wagon. Today the word has lost the wagon connection and simply means any long, difficult walk or journey.