Walking in the countryside for pleasure or sport.
"After a long week at the office, Sarah decided to go hiking on the local trails to clear her mind and enjoy the fresh mountain air."
In plain English: Hiking is the act of walking on trails through nature for fun or exercise.
"They went on a challenging hiking to reach the mountain summit before sunset."
Usage: Use "hiking" as a noun to refer specifically to the activity of walking in the countryside for pleasure or exercise. Do not use it to describe the general concept of climbing mountains unless you are referring to the specific act of ascending them on foot.
present participle of hike
"We paused on the trail to catch our breath while hiking up the steep mountain path."
In plain English: To hike means to walk for a long time, usually on trails in nature.
"We spent the whole day hiking through the mountains."
Usage: Use "hiking" when describing the act of walking briskly outdoors on trails or paths for exercise or recreation. Do not use it to mean moving quickly indoors or traveling by vehicle.
Derived from the German verb wandern, hiking originally meant to wander or roam freely. The term entered English in the early 20th century to describe long walks on foot, particularly those taken over rough terrain.