1 B2 neutral
To cut or shape something from a hard material such as stone, rock, or wood using forceful blows.
"Early settlers hewed out a shelter from the rock face to survive the winter."
separable
hew out
B2 neutral separable transitive
To shape or create something by cutting into a hard material such as rock or wood; also used figuratively to mean creating something through hard effort.
In plain English
To make something by cutting into rock or wood with great effort.
What does "hew out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic formal
To create or achieve something through sustained hard work and determination (figurative).
"She hewed out a distinguished career in law through decades of dedication."
“
We will hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.
— Martin Luther King Jr., 'I Have a Dream' speech, 1963
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To chop outward or inward into a material, creating a shape or hollow.
Actually means
To make something by cutting into rock or wood with great effort.
Usage tip
Appears in both literal (stone carving, woodworking) and figurative contexts. The figurative sense ('hew out a life/path') is common in literary and political speech. Slightly formal or elevated in register.
Words that pair with "hew out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
rock stone path career living statue tomb
How to conjugate "hew out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
hew out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
hews out
he/she/it
Past simple
hewed out
yesterday
Past participle
hewed out
have + pp
-ing form
hewing out
continuous
Hear "hew out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "hew out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.