Hiding is the active form of hide: it means putting something in a place where it can’t be seen or found, or keeping yourself out of sight on purpose. When you’re hiding in hide-and-seek, you tuck yourself behind a tree or inside a closet, trying not to move so the seeker won’t notice you. You might be hiding a birthday present in the back of your closet until the party, or hiding a piece of candy from your little brother who always asks for bites.

Hiding can also mean keeping something secret. When you’re hiding your true feelings, you aren’t showing others what’s going on inside. A student might be hiding their nervousness before a big presentation by smiling and acting confident even though their heart is racing.

Someone who is in hiding is staying in a secret place so they won’t be found, often because it isn’t safe for them to be seen. Someone in hiding might be a criminal evading justice, or a good person trying to avoid unfair treatment.

When something is well-hidden, it’s hard to find. A poorly hidden object is easy to spot, which makes for a very short game of hide-and-seek.