Word
hidden
Phoneticshid·den, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈhɪdən/
UK/hˈɪdən/
Definitions
01out of sight
A2 · Elementary
adj. kept out of sight so that people cannot see or find it.
adj. positioned or kept out of sight; concealed from view.
“The children found a hidden door behind the old bookshelf.”
“The valley remained hidden from the main road by a dense screen of ancient pine trees, preserving its quiet atmosphere.”
02difficult to understand
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. not easy to notice or understand; having a secret meaning.
adj. obscure or not easily perceived by the intellect; containing a deeper or non-obvious meaning.
“The movie has a hidden message about protecting the environment.”
“The contract contained several hidden costs that the small business owner failed to notice during the initial negotiations.”
Synonyms
03wordplay clue
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Technical
n. a type of puzzle clue where the answer is written inside other words.
n. a cryptic crossword clue where the solution is found consecutively within the letters of the clue's wordplay.
“I finally solved the hidden in the third row of the crossword.”
“The setter used a clever hidden, concealing the eight-letter answer across three separate words in the middle of the sentence.”
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “hidden” in context.
Verb
01. keep the truth hidden
“The government tried to keep the truth hidden from the public for as long as possible.”
verb + noun + adj
02. remain hidden
“The ancient ruins remained hidden beneath the jungle canopy for centuries.”
verb + adj
Adjective
03. hidden costs
“Always read the fine print to avoid any hidden costs when signing a new contract.”
adj + noun
04. hidden agenda
“The committee suspected the manager had a hidden agenda for proposing the new policy.”
adj + noun
05. hidden talent
“She discovered a hidden talent for painting during the summer art workshop.”
adj + noun
06. well hidden
“The spare key was well hidden under a loose stone in the garden path.”
adv + adj
Noun
07. hidden depths
“He is a quiet man, but he clearly has hidden depths to his personality.”
adj + noun
Real-World Examples
“A hidden population of one of England's rarest moths has been found at a site where it had not been seen for more than 70 years.” “And then, the Moon began to reveal the Sun that it had hidden.” “The float is part of a global effort to solve one of the great mysteries of the ocean: how its hidden movements help shape the climate above.” Etymology
Morphologically hid + -en.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/hidden