1To hide oneself or make one's presence unseen; to take cover or conceal oneself.
子どもたちは公園でかくれんぼをしていて、木の後ろに隠れる。
The children are playing hide-and-seek in the park and hide behind a tree.
大雨に遭い、私たちは近くの建物の軒下に隠れた。
We got caught in a heavy rain and took shelter under the eaves of a nearby building.
犯人は人混みに紛れて隠れていた。
The criminal was hiding among the crowd.
2To be hidden or to disappear from view behind something; to be covered or obscured.
夕日が山の向こうに隠れると、急に暗くなった。
When the sun set behind the mountain, it suddenly got dark.
看板が木に隠れてしまって店の名前が見えない。
The sign is hidden by a tree, so the store's name can't be seen.
月が雲に隠れて、今夜は星だけが見える。
The moon is hidden by clouds, so only the stars are visible tonight.
3To live in seclusion or retire from public life; to withdraw from the public stage.
作家はしばらくの間公の場から隠れて執筆に専念した。
The writer withdrew from the public eye for a while to devote himself to writing.
彼はスキャンダルの後、地方で隠れて暮らしているという噂がある。
There are rumors that he has been living in hiding in the countryside after the scandal.
4To be undiscovered or not obvious (e.g., a talent or meaning); often used prenominally as 'hidden ~' (隠れた〜).
彼には隠れた才能があると先生は言った。
The teacher said he has hidden talent.
この町には観光客に知られていない隠れた名所が多い。
This town has many hidden spots unknown to tourists.
5Honorific expression used to euphemistically say that a person of high status has died; usually appears as 'お隠れになる'.
先代の理事長がお隠れになり、追悼式が行われた。
The previous chairman passed away, and a memorial service was held.
著名な作曲家がお隠れになったとの知らせに、多くの人が悲しんだ。
News that the famous composer had passed away saddened many people.