Backpacker
noun, slang ·3 syllables ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
- 1 A traveler whose luggage consists of a backpack; especially, such a traveler who uses hostels, public transport, and other inexpensive services.
"Among the ah bengs and ah lians, the mats and the minahs, the young expats and the backpackers, he stood out like a dozen guys on a male-only dance floor singing Dancing Queen (I'll never forgive Blur for ruining my 21st birthday)."
- 2 a hiker who wears a backpack wordnet
- 3 A hostel offering accommodation for such people.
"We hardly ever stayed in backpackers as it was approximately double the cost of pitching a tent in a caravan park or nature reserve."
- 4 A fan or performer of backpack rap. slang
"Blacks and Latinos were more likely to be gangsta rappers than backpackers."
Example
More examples"Among the ah bengs and ah lians, the mats and the minahs, the young expats and the backpackers, he stood out like a dozen guys on a male-only dance floor singing Dancing Queen (I'll never forgive Blur for ruining my 21st birthday)."
Etymology
From backpack + -er.
Related phrases
More for "backpacker"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.