HIRE Synonyms: 108 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'hire' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of hire are charter , lease , let , and rent . While all these words mean "to engage or grant for use at a price," hire and let , strictly speaking, are complementary terms, hire implying the act of engaging or taking for use and let the granting of use. // we hired a car for the summer // decided to let the cottage to a young couple

Q: In what contexts can 'charter' take the place of 'hire'?

The synonyms charter and hire are sometimes interchangeable, but charter applies to the hiring or letting of a vehicle usually for exclusive use. // charter a bus to go to the game

Q: When can 'lease' be used instead of 'hire'?

The words lease and hire can be used in similar contexts, but lease strictly implies a letting under the terms of a contract but is often applied to hiring on a lease. // the diplomat leased an apartment for a year

Q: When is it sensible to use 'rent' instead of 'hire'?

Although the words rent and hire have much in common, rent stresses the payment of money for the full use of property and may imply either hiring or letting. // instead of buying a house, they decided to rent // will not rent to families with children

hire 1 of 2

verb

Definition of hire

as in to rent

to take or get the temporary use of (something) for a set sum the Youngs hired a limousine for their daughter's wedding

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to employ

to provide with a paying job the farm hires teenagers to pick blueberries in the summer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hire

2 of 2

noun

ˈhī(-ə)r

as in employ

the state of being provided with a paying job he spent most of his career in the hire of high-paying defense contractors

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in salary

the money paid regularly to a person for labor or services used to mow lawns for hire

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word hire different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of hire are charter, lease, let, and rent. While all these words mean "to engage or grant for use at a price," hire and let, strictly speaking, are complementary terms, hire implying the act of engaging or taking for use and let the granting of use.

we hired a car for the summer

decided to let the cottage to a young couple

In what contexts can charter take the place of hire?

The synonyms charter and hire are sometimes interchangeable, but charter applies to the hiring or letting of a vehicle usually for exclusive use.

charter a bus to go to the game

When can lease be used instead of hire?

The words lease and hire can be used in similar contexts, but lease strictly implies a letting under the terms of a contract but is often applied to hiring on a lease.

the diplomat leased an apartment for a year

When is it sensible to use rent instead of hire?

Although the words rent and hire have much in common, rent stresses the payment of money for the full use of property and may imply either hiring or letting.

instead of buying a house, they decided to rent

will not rent to families with children

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of hire

Verb

But the nine-term congressman nonetheless dismissed his rivals’ hiring pledges as political showmanship. — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 If the Angels dismiss Suzuki, that would allow a new general manager to hire a new manager. — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Noun

In addition to murder-for-hire, Durk faces charges of conspiracy and stalking. — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 27 Aug. 2026 That outcome looks increasingly likely, given the timing of this hire. — Max Bultman, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hire

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hire

Verb

Google and Microsoft were both in talks with Nscale to rent AI computing capacity from the company’s massive data center project in West Virginia — a lease that ultimately went to Anthropic, a person familiar with the matter told Semafor.

— J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Carly keeps taking her new passion further, apparently spending all her tuition money on shooting a music video and renting a venue for a live performance plus merch and catering.

— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of rent

Verb

This metric measures the proportion of the working-age population that is either employed or actively seeking employment.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
The same restraint applies to professors, who will not be permitted to employ AI to write syllabuses or course materials.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of employ

Noun

In fact, the breakeven rate of employment growth, or the number of net new jobs needed each month to keep the unemployment rate steady, actually went slightly negative during the summer and fall of 2025.

— Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
The proposal is part of Gates’ broader warning that governments need to prepare now for dramatic changes to employment brought on by AI.

— Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of employment

Noun

Singletary took a pay cut to the minimum salary to stay this offseason, and then earned his spot on the roster.

— Dan Duggan, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
The salary for a probationary officer — who usually graduates from the police academy after half a year — starts at $63,000 but jumps to $111,000, plus benefits after four and a half years of service, per the department’s 2026 pay schedule.

— Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of salary

Verb

Serving as the territory’s secretary of education between 2013 and 2017, overseeing all of its public schools from kindergarten through high school, he was recruited to Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 as a teacher.

— Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Somebody had to recruit before UCF was a recognizable national brand.

— Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of recruit

Noun

The district also provided only hourly wages for some employees and annual pay for others, hence the two separate pay columns in our database.

— Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 27 Aug. 2026
Over the course of 23 bargaining sessions, the union and district representatives have negotiated on class size, wages and Special Education resources, among 57 total proposals.

— Zachary Fletcher, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of wage

Verb

Swift also paid tribute to Parton’s prolific and breathtaking body of work and her philanthropic efforts across the globe.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
Connie Britton paid tribute to Dolly Parton, less than two weeks after the loss of her Nashville costar Hayden Panettiere.

— Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of pay

Noun

That facility charges for certain types of meeting space, yet Mazariegos’ spending report initially showed no payments or in-kind donations for such costs, Rothstein said.

— Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
The agreement includes a payment of up to $18 billion, part of which is tied to conditional action by other social media giants.

— Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of payment

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hipsters

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hired

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“Hire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hire. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of hire

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