Hip
/hɪp/
nounadjectiveA2
Definition
As a noun, "hip" is the part of the body on each side below the waist where the leg joins the body. As an adjective, "hip" means being very modern, stylish, or aware of the latest trends, especially in fashion or culture.
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See It in Action
The body part on the side of the waist
- •She hurt her hip while playing soccer.
- •The doctor checked his hip for any pain.
- •Babies learn to walk by moving their hips and legs.
Being fashionable or cool
- •That band is very hip with young people.
- •She always wears hip clothes that everyone likes.
- •The café is a hip place to meet friends.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "hip" like "leg" (A1 word), but it is the upper part where your leg connects to your body.
- ✓Picture someone putting their hands on their hips when they stand—this helps you see where the hip is.
- ✓It's the feeling of being cool or trendy, like when you wear the newest shoes or listen to popular music.
- ✓Sounds like "hip" → imagine a hippo dancing in a cool way, showing off style and confidence.
- ✓Think of a young person who knows all the new music and fashion trends—that person is "hip."
- ✓NOT like "knee" or "foot" (other body parts lower on the leg), "hip" is higher and wider.
- ✓NOT like "old-fashioned" or "boring," "hip" means modern and exciting.
- ✓NOT just "fashion," but also knowing and understanding new ideas or styles.
Try Other Words
- •Trendy: very popular and fashionable (Use when focusing on current fashion or style)
- •Stylish: having good style or design (Use when talking about appearance or clothing)
- •Waist: the narrow part of the body above the hips (Use when talking about body parts near the hip)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: (no prefix or suffix; simple root word "hip")
- •Etymology: Old English "hippe," meaning the joint between the leg and the body
- •Historical development: Used for body part since early English; later, in the 20th century, it became slang for fashionable or cool
- •Modern usage: Still common as a body part word; also popular in informal speech to describe style or trendiness
Reflect & Connect
•How does the meaning of "hip" change when talking about the body versus talking about fashion?
•Can something be "hip" in one culture but not in another? How does this affect the word's meaning?
Fill in the blanks
1.She felt pain in her hip after ___ for a long time.
2.When someone says a place is hip, they usually mean it is ___ and popular.
3.Unlike the knee or ankle, the hip is the ___ part where the leg joins the body.
4.Wearing the latest clothes is one way to look ___ and trendy.
5.People often put their hands on their ___ when standing confidently.
6.The word "hip" can describe both a body part and a ___ style.
7.If a restaurant is not hip, it might be considered ___ or old-fashioned.