Meanings
hire1
plural hires
- countableA person who has been hired, especially in a cohort.
We pair up each of our new hires with one of our original hires.
1 more example
Employment statistics, the other key indicator of Diversity & Inclusion performance, shows that almost 30% of new Southeastern hires are women.
2024 February 21, Nick Brodrick, “Inclusion and development for all”, in RAIL, number 1003, page 62 - uncountableThe state of being hired, or having a job; employment.
When my grandfather retired, he had over twenty mechanics in his hire.
Synonyms: employ
- obsoleteuncountableReward.
The labourer is worthy of his hire.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 10:73 more examples
I vvill him reaue of armes, the victors hire, / And of that ſhield, more vvorthy of good knight; / For vvhy ſhould a dead dog be deckt in armour bright?
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLCI have five hundred crovvns, / The thrifty hire I ſav'd under your father […]
c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii], lines 682–683I haue ſeene a pardon giuen to a man vpon the gallovves, but vvho ſo emboldeneth himſelfe thereuypon, perhaps the rope may be his hire: it is not good to put it vpon the Pſalme of Miſerere, and the neck-verſe, for ſometime he prooues no clarke.
1619, Samuell Hieron, “The Worth of the Water of Life. Dauids Longing, and Dauids Loue. The Good Fight. [II. Tim[othy] 4. 7.]”, in The Sermons of Master Samuell Hieron, […], London: […] Iohn Beale [and John Legatt printer to the Uniuersitie of Cambridge for Thomas Man, Ioyce Macham, Cantrell Legge, and Simon Waterson], published 1620, →OCLC, pages 222–223
hire2
present singular third person hires · participle present hiring · participle past hired · past hired
- AustraliaUKtransitiveTo obtain the services of in return for fixed payment.
We hired a car for two weeks because ours had broken down.
1 more example
“[…] She takes the whole thing with desperate seriousness. But the others are all easy and jovial—thinking about the good fare that is soon to be eaten, about the hired fly, about anything.”
1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XVI, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLCSynonyms: rent
- UKtransitiveTo occupy premises in exchange for rent.
I do not mean to insist here on the disadvantage of hiring compared with owning, but it is evident that the savage owns his shelter because it costs so little, while the civilized man hires his commonly because he cannot afford to own it; nor can he, in the long run, any better afford to hire.
1854 August 9, Henry D[avid] Thoreau, “Economy”, in Walden; or, Life in the Woods, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLCSynonyms: rent
- transitiveTo employ; to obtain the services of (a person) in exchange for remuneration; to give someone a job.
The company had problems when it tried to hire more skilled workers.
1 more example
The skipper Mr. Cooke had hired at Far Harbor was a God-fearing man with a luke warm interest in his new billet and employer, and had only been prevailed upon to take charge of the yacht after the offer of an emolument equal to half a year's sea pay of an ensign in the navy.
1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter X, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC - transitiveTo exchange the services of for remuneration.
They hired themselves out as day laborers. They hired out their basement for Inauguration week.
- UKtransitiveTo accomplish by paying for services.
After waiting two years for her husband to finish the tiling, she decided to hire it done.
- intransitiveTo accept employment.
They hired out as day laborers.
- transitive(neologism) (in the Jobs-to-be-Done Theory) To buy something in order for it to perform a function, to do a job
They hired a milkshake.
Hire3
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe state of being hired, or having a job; employment.
verbTo obtain the services of in return for fixed payment.
verbTo occupy premises in exchange for rent.
antonym(s) of “to employ”
More synonyms by meaning
verbhold under a lease or rental agreement; of goods and services
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
hire · noun
- Proto-Indo-European*kewHs-
- Proto-Germanic*hūzijaną
- Proto-West Germanic*hūʀiju“payment”
- Old Englishhȳr“employment for wages; pay for service; interest on money lent”
- Middle Englishhire
- Englishhire
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”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →hire · verb
- Old Englishhȳrian“to hire”
- Middle Englishhiren
- Englishhire
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 obsolete English sold (“salary, military pay”).
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Hire · proper noun
* As a Dutch and German surname, Americanized from Heier, Heyer. * As an English surname, variant of Heare. * As an Irish surname, variant of Hare.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek μισθόω
- μισθόω (misthóō)to obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
Arabic أَجَّرَ, اِسْتَخْدَمَ
- أَجَّرَ (ʔajjara)to obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- اِسْتَخْدَمَ (istaḵdama)to employ
- شَغَّلَ (šaḡḡala)to employ
- اِسْتَعْمَلَ (istaʕmala)to employ
- اِسْتَأْجَرَ (istaʔjara)to employ
Basque alokatu
- alokatuto obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
Bulgarian наемник, наемане
- наемник (naemnik)a person who has been hired
- наемане (naemane)the state of being hired, or having a job; employment
- наемам (naemam)to obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- нае́мам (naémam)to employ
- цаня (canja)to employ
- наемам се (naemam se)to accept employment
Catalan llogar, contractar
- llogarto obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- contractarto employ
Chinese Mandarin 租借, 出租
- 租借 (zūjiè)to obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- 出租 (chūzū)to obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- 雇傭 (gùyōng)to employ
- 雇 (gù)to employ
Czech najmout, zaměstnat
- najmoutto obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- zaměstnatto employ
Danish ansætte
- ansætteto employ
Dutch werknemer, huren
- werknemera person who has been hired
- hurento obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- aanwervento employ
- aanstellento employ
- verhurento exchange the services of for remuneration
- werk aannemento accept employment
Esperanto lui, engaĝi
- luito obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- engaĝito employ
- dungito employ
Finnish työntekijä, työsuhde
- työntekijäa person who has been hired
- työsuhdethe state of being hired, or having a job; employment
- palvelusthe state of being hired, or having a job; employment
- vuokratato obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- palkatato employ
- työllistääto employ
- ottaa työhönto employ
- palkatato exchange the services of for remuneration
- teettääto exchange the services of for remuneration
- vuokratato exchange the services of for remuneration
- teettääto accomplish by paying for services
- mennä töihinto accept employment
- palkkautuato accept employment
French louer, embaucher
- louerto obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- embaucherto employ
- employerto employ
- recruterto employ
- engagerto employ
German Hilfsarbeiter, Saisonarbeiter
- Hilfsarbeitera person who has been hired
- Saisonarbeitera person who has been hired
- unter Vertragthe state of being hired, or having a job; employment
- mietento obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- heuernto obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- anwerbento employ
- anstellento employ
- einstellento employ
- anheuern (naut.)to employ
- vermietento exchange the services of for remuneration
- verdingento exchange the services of for remuneration
- machen lassento accomplish by paying for services
- anheuern (naut.)to accept employment
- sich verdingento accept employment
Greek νοικιάζω, προσλαμβάνω
- νοικιάζω (noikiázo)to obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- προσλαμβάνω (proslamváno)to employ
Hindi नियुक्ति, नियुक्त करना
- नियुक्ति (niyukti)the state of being hired, or having a job; employment
- नियुक्त करना (niyukt karnā)to employ
Hungarian bérel, felvesz
- bérelto obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- felveszto obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
Irish fostaigh
- fostaighto employ
Italian assoldare, noleggiare
- assoldareto obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- noleggiareto obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- impiegareto employ
- ingaggiareto employ
- assumereto employ
Japanese 借りる, 雇う
- 借りる (kariru)to obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- 雇う (yatou)to employ
- 雇用する (koyō suru)to employ
Korean 고용하다, 고용하다
- 고용하다 (goyonghada)to obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- 고용하다 (goyonghada)to employ
Latin conduco
- conducoto employ
Latvian algot, nolīgt
- algotto employ
- nolīgtto employ
Malay upahan
- upahanthe state of being hired, or having a job; employment
Norwegian ansette
- ansetteto employ
Polish wynajmować, wynająć
- wynajmowaćto obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- wynająćto obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- wypożyczaćto obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- wypożyczyćto obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- najmować (do pracy)to employ
- zatrudniaćto employ
- angażowaćto employ
- zaangażowaćto employ
- angażować sięto accept employment
- zaangażować sięto accept employment
Portuguese contratado, emprego
- contratadoa person who has been hired
- empregothe state of being hired, or having a job; employment
- contratarto obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- alugarto obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- contratarto employ
- empregarto employ
Romanian angaja
- angajato employ
Russian наём, прока́т
- наём (najóm)the state of being hired, or having a job; employment
- прока́т (prokát)the state of being hired, or having a job; employment
- брать напрока́т (bratʹ naprokát)to obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- взять напрока́т (vzjatʹ naprokát)to obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- нанима́ть (nanimátʹ)to obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- наня́ть (nanjátʹ)to obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- нанима́ть (nanimátʹ)to employ
- наня́ть (nanjátʹ)to employ
- трудоустра́ивать (trudoustráivatʹ)to employ
- трудоустро́ить (trudoustróitʹ)to employ
Scottish Gaelic fastachadh, fastaidh
- fastachadhthe state of being hired, or having a job; employment
- fastaidhto obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- fastaidhto employ
Spanish empleado, alquiler
- empleadoa person who has been hired
- alquilerthe state of being hired, or having a job; employment
- contratarto employ
- emplearto employ
Swahili -ajiri, -ajiri
- -ajirito obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- -ajirito employ
Swedish anställd, hyra
- anställda person who has been hired
- hyrato obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- anlitato obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- anställato employ
Thai จ้าง, จ้าง
- จ้าง (jâang)to obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- จ้าง (jâang)to employ
Turkish kiralamak, işe almak
- kiralamakto obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- işe almakto employ
- kiraya vermekto exchange the services of for remuneration
Ukrainian бра́ти напрока́т, узя́ти напрока́т
- бра́ти напрока́т (bráty naprokát)to obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- узя́ти напрока́т (uzjáty naprokát)to obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- найма́ти (najmáty)to employ
- найня́ти (najnjáty)to employ
Vietnamese thuê, mướn
- thuêto obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- mướnto obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
- tuyểnto employ
Yiddish דינגען
- דינגען (dingen)to obtain the services of in return for fixed payment
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with hire
Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
hire. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hire
“hire.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hire. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hire,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hire.
Source: hire on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.