hire

To give someone a job and pay them for their work.

• We hired two cooks.
• The company is hiring more engineers.
• Were you hired as a full-time employee?

How to use it: hire someone as something (They hired her as a manager.); hire someone to do something (We hired someone to clean the office.)

Similar words: employ, take on, recruit

Opposites: fire, dismiss

Common phrases: hire someone, hire new staff, hire a worker, hire skilled workers

To pay to use something or someone's services for a limited time.

• We hired a car.
• You can hire bicycles near the beach.
• They hired a driver for their mountain trip.

How to use it: hire something for a period (We hired a van for the weekend.); hire something from someone (She hired a bicycle from the hotel.)

Similar words: rent, engage

Common phrases: hire a car, hire a boat, hire equipment

Payment for using something for a limited time, or the arrangement to do this.

• Car hire costs extra.
• The daily hire charge includes insurance.
• We paid for the hire of two bicycles.

Similar words: rental, rental fee

Common phrases: car hire, hire charge, for hire, on hire

A person who has been given a paid job.

• Our new hire starts Monday.
• The company trained six new hires last month.
• She was the team's first hire this year.

Similar words: recruit, new employee

Common phrases: new hire, recent hire, first hire

The state of working for someone in return for pay.

• He had ten workers in his hire.
• She entered the merchant's hire as a cook.
• The men remained in his hire for many years.

How to use it: in someone's hire (Three gardeners were in the duke's hire.)

Similar words: employment, service

Opposites: unemployment

Common phrases: in someone's hire, enter someone's hire