Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

hitch one's wagon to a star

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.26 in modern English

Syllables: hitch one's wag-on -to a s-tar
IPA

33

Scrabble Score

21

Letters

4

Syllables

12

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To commit to an aspirational goal or course of action that will lead to fulfillment.

Canadian usage; American usage

Example Sentences

"[Emerson] was not afraid to be homely and racy in expressing thought of the highest spirituality. "Hitch your wagon to a star" is a good instance of his favorite manner."
"Well, he was done, he solaced himself. He had hitched his wagon to a star and been landed in a pestiferous marsh."
"So if you've had enough of life as an employee and you're planning to set up your own home-based business, do the sensible thing and hitch your wagon to the fastest rising star today — the Internet."
"Pick a star, or hero, or whatever product/service/idea you are presenting, and hitch your wagon to it."

Etymology

Coined by Ralph Waldo Emerson in his essay Civilization (1870).

Usage

Canadian usage
American usage

Inflected Forms

hitches one's wagon to a star (present, singular) hitching one's wagon to a star (participle, present) hitched one's wagon to a star (participle, past) hitched one's wagon to a star (past)

Questions

What does hitch one's wagon to a star mean?: To commit to an aspirational goal or course of action that will lead to fulfillment.
Where does hitch one's wagon to a star come from?: Coined by Ralph Waldo Emerson in his essay Civilization (1870).

How to pronounce hitch one's wagon to a star

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