Word
hire
US/ˈhaɪɝ/
UK/hˈaɪə/
Definitions
01to give someone a job
A2 · Elementary
v. to give someone a job and pay them for their work.
v. to employ a person for wages or a salary. Transitive; requires a direct object representing the person or entity.
“The company plans to hire ten new engineers by the end of the year.”
“After a rigorous three-stage interview process, the board decided to hire a candidate with extensive experience in international logistics.”
02to rent something
B1 · Intermediate British English
v. to pay to use something for a short time, like a car or a suit.
v. to obtain the temporary use of something in exchange for payment. Common in British English where American English often prefers 'rent'.
“We decided to hire a car for our holiday so we could visit the mountains.”
“The wedding party arranged to hire formal morning suits from a specialist tailor in the city centre.”
Usage
In British English, 'hire' is used for portable items like cars or tools, while 'rent' is often used for long-term housing.
03a new employee
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a person who has just started a new job at a company.
n. a person who has recently been recruited or employed. Often used in the phrase 'new hire'.
Español:empleado
“The manager introduced the new hire to the rest of the team during lunch.”
“The human resources department is responsible for ensuring that every new hire completes the mandatory safety training before starting their role.”
04the act of renting
B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun British English
n. the act of paying to use something for a short time.
n. the act of hiring or the state of being hired for temporary use. Often used in commercial contexts like 'car hire'.
“The price of the bicycle hire includes a helmet and a lock.”
“The contract clearly states that the cost of equipment hire must be paid in full before the items are removed from the premises.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “hire” in context.
Verb
01. hire a car
“We decided to hire a car to explore the island at our own pace.”
verb + noun
02. hire a consultant
“The company plans to hire a consultant to improve their marketing strategy.”
verb + noun
03. hire someone to help
“They had to hire someone to help with the heavy lifting during the move.”
verb + noun + infinitive
Noun
04. car hire
“The cost of car hire has increased significantly over the summer months.”
noun + noun
05. equipment hire
“The total price includes equipment hire and insurance for the weekend.”
noun + noun
Preposition
06. for hire
“There are several bicycles for hire near the park entrance.”
prep + noun
Adverb
07. locally hire
“The firm prefers to locally hire staff to support the community.”
adv + verb
08. specially hire
“The band was specially hired to perform at the wedding reception.”
adv + verb
Confusables
Borrow is taking for free; rent is paying for long-term use; hire is paying for short-term use or labor.
RememberBorrow is free. Rent is a fee. Hire is for a person or a spree.
Real-World Examples
“Curtis’s move to hire Peters comes in the final months of his time in office.” “On average, nearly 19,500 e-scooters were available to hire every day.” Etymology
From Middle English hire, hyre, here, hure, from Old English hȳr (“employment for wages; pay for service; interest on money lent”), from Proto-West Germanic hūʀiju (“payment”), from the verb hūʀijan, from Proto-Germanic hūzijaną, from Proto-Indo-European kewHs- or *kweHs-. Compare Hittite 𒆪𒊭𒀭 (kuššan-, “fee, pay, wages, price”). Cognate with West Frisian hier (“hire”), Dutch huur (“lease, rental”), German Low German Hüür (“lease, rental”).
From Middle English hiren, hyren, from Old English hȳrian (“to hire”), from the noun (see above). Compare West Frisian hiere (“to rent, lease”), Dutch huren (“to rent, lease”), Low German hüren (“to rent”), Danish hyre (“to hire”), Swedish hyra (“to hire”). Eclipsed Middle English souden (“to hire, employ, enlist”), borrowed from Old French souder, soudre, souldre (“to take into employ, pay”); see English sold (“salary, military pay”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. hired gun
02. hired muscle
- 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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englishreference.com/q/hire
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0