hiding
hiding — noun
1. a form of physical punishment where someone is struck with the hand or an object
a form of physical punishment where someone is struck with the hand or an object many times, often given by a parent or teacher in earlier times.
Chidi's grandfather told him that as a boy he had received a hiding for skipping school.
collocation: get/receive a hiding for + reason
Elena threatened the children with a hiding if they broke another window.
collocation: threaten somebody with a hiding
The old headmaster once gave Asher a hiding for fighting in the schoolyard.
In her novel, the cruel uncle gives the orphan a hiding for spilling the milk.
文法句型
give somebody a hiding
get a hiding
用法筆記
Frequently in the fixed phrases 'give somebody a hiding' and 'get a hiding'. Sounds dated or literary; modern English usually prefers 'beating' or 'spanking'.
常見錯誤
2. a heavy loss in a game, contest, or election, where one side is beaten by a very
a heavy loss in a game, contest, or election, where one side is beaten by a very wide margin.
Liverpool gave the visiting team a 6-0 hiding at Anfield on Saturday.
collocation: give somebody a [score] hiding
Vivek's chess club took a hiding from the university squad in the regional final.
collocation: take a hiding from somebody
The ruling party suffered a hiding in the May local elections, losing thirty seats.
After the boxer's hiding in Las Vegas, Roya's coach told her to retire.
- victory
the winning side's outcome
文法句型
give somebody a hiding
take a hiding
用法筆記
Common in British sports journalism and political reporting. Often appears with a scoreline ('a 5-0 hiding') or with verbs like 'take', 'suffer', 'give'.
常見錯誤
3. the situation of staying in a secret place so that the police, an enemy, or the
the situation of staying in a secret place so that the police, an enemy, or the public cannot find you.
The whistle-blower has been in hiding since the documents leaked online last month.
fixed phrase: be in hiding
After the trial, Yael's brother went into hiding in a small village outside Marseille.
fixed phrase: go into hiding (in a place)
The wanted novelist finally came out of hiding to attend his mother's funeral.
Two of the gang leaders are still in hiding somewhere in the mountains near the border.
- concealment
more formal; often used for things rather than people
- seclusion
voluntary withdrawal from public life; not necessarily about danger
文法句型
be in hiding
go into hiding
come out of hiding
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the three fixed prepositional phrases 'in hiding', 'go into hiding', 'come out of hiding'. Distinct from sense 4 — sense 3 is about a person staying hidden; sense 4 is about the act of concealing things.
常見錯誤
4. the act of keeping an object, fact, or feeling from being seen or known by other
the act of keeping an object, fact, or feeling from being seen or known by other people.
Mia was charged with the hiding of stolen jewellery in her apartment for several months.
pattern: the hiding of + object (noun phrase)
Diya admitted that the hiding of her illness from her parents had only made things worse.
pattern: the hiding of + abstract noun (illness, feelings, truth)
The judge condemned the hiding of evidence by the company's senior lawyers.
Constant hiding of his real feelings left Asher exhausted by the end of every family dinner.
- concealment
near-synonym; slightly more formal and legal-sounding
- cover-up
informal; suggests an organised effort to hide wrongdoing
- disclosure
the opposite act — making something known
- revelation
the moment hidden information comes out
文法句型
the hiding of something
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 3: this sense focuses on the action of concealing things or information, not a person staying out of sight. Often takes 'of + noun' (the hiding of evidence/assets/feelings).
常見錯誤
hiding — verb
1. to put a thing in a place where it cannot be seen, or to cover it so that other
to put a thing in a place where it cannot be seen, or to cover it so that other people will not notice it.
Christopher quickly hid the birthday present under a blanket on the back seat.
pattern: hide something + location (under/behind/in)
Astrid hid the spare key inside a small flowerpot beside the front door.
pattern: hide something inside/in + container
Tall fences and thick ivy hide the old farmhouse from the road completely.
Lakan hid the chocolate bar in his school bag before his sister could see it.
文法句型
hide something (from somebody)
hide something + adverb/preposition
用法筆記
The basic physical sense. Often paired with a place phrase ('under', 'behind', 'in'). The subject is usually a person, but can also be a thing that blocks the view (trees, walls, curtains).
常見錯誤
2. to keep a person safe by putting them in a place where the people who want to ha
to keep a person safe by putting them in a place where the people who want to harm them cannot find them.
During the war, Élise's grandmother hid two Jewish children in the attic for almost a year.
typical: hide somebody in + place during a dangerous period
Yuna hid her younger brother in the basement when the soldiers came to the village.
pattern: hide somebody in + place from + threat
The monks hid the refugees in the monastery cellar until it was safe to leave the country.
Two villagers were arrested for hiding political activists from the security police.
- betray
the opposite act — handing somebody over to the threat
文法句型
hide somebody (from somebody)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: the object here is a person being protected, not a thing. Often pairs with 'from + danger/pursuer' and a place phrase. The subject is usually someone offering help or shelter.
常見錯誤
3. to prevent feelings, facts, or information from becoming known to other people.
to prevent feelings, facts, or information from becoming known to other people.
Emily tried to hide her disappointment when she heard she had not got the job.
typical object: feelings (anger, sadness, disappointment, fear)
The company hid the test results from regulators for almost two years.
typical object: results, evidence, facts
Chidi could no longer hide the fact that he had been working two jobs all summer.
Roya hid her smile behind her menu when the waiter mispronounced her name.
文法句型
hide something (from somebody)
hide that-clause (informal)
用法筆記
Common objects are feelings and information. Frequently followed by 'from + somebody'. Distinguish from sense 1 — sense 1 hides physical things; sense 3 hides ideas, feelings, or information.
常見錯誤
4. to turn your face or eyes away from someone or something because you feel embarr
to turn your face or eyes away from someone or something because you feel embarrassed, ashamed, or upset.
Diya hid her face in her hands when the photographer started taking pictures of the bride.
typical: hide one's face in one's hands
The little boy hid his eyes behind his teddy bear during the loudest scene of the film.
typical: hide one's eyes behind + object
Asher hid his face against his mother's shoulder when the doctor brought out the needle.
Embarrassed, Elena hid her face in her scarf as the whole class began to laugh.
文法句型
hide one's face/eyes (in/behind something)
用法筆記
Object is almost always 'face' or 'eyes'. The location phrase ('in one's hands', 'behind something', 'against somebody') is what shows the emotion. Distinct from sense 3 — sense 3 hides feelings; sense 4 physically turns the face away because of feelings.
常見錯誤
5. to put yourself in a place where other people cannot easily see you, often as pa
to put yourself in a place where other people cannot easily see you, often as part of a game or because you do not want to be found.
Yuna hid behind the curtain while her friends counted to twenty in the next room.
typical: hide behind/in + place during a game
Mia hid under the kitchen table whenever a thunderstorm rolled over the village.
typical: hide under + furniture during fear
Lakan hid in the bushes for almost an hour before the search party walked past.
A small fox was hiding behind the rubbish bin at the back of the school garden.
文法句型
hide (from somebody)
hide + adverb/preposition
用法筆記
Intransitive use — no direct object. Almost always with a place phrase ('behind', 'under', 'in'). Distinguish from sense 6 — sense 5 is the simple act of staying out of sight; sense 6 emphasises avoiding responsibility.
常見錯誤
6. to use a rule, a person, or an excuse as protection so that you do not have to f
to use a rule, a person, or an excuse as protection so that you do not have to face blame or take responsibility for your actions.
The minister hid behind official secrecy rules instead of answering the journalist's questions.
pattern: hide behind + rule/policy/law
Vivek's manager kept hiding behind company policy whenever a customer asked for a refund.
pattern: hide behind + policy / procedure
It is too easy for politicians to hide behind their advisers when a scandal breaks.
Christopher hid behind a fake online name to post cruel comments about his classmates.
- shelter behind
very close in meaning; equally critical in tone
- duck
informal; 'duck responsibility' = avoid it altogether
文法句型
hide behind something/somebody
用法筆記
Almost always with 'behind + noun'. Has a clearly negative tone — the speaker is criticising someone for not taking responsibility. Common 'behind' objects: rules, policies, other people, anonymity.