crouch
verb
ˈkrau̇ch 
crouched; crouching; crouches
intransitive verb
1
a
: to lower the body stance especially by bending the legs
The sprinter crouched and was ready to go.
b
: to lie close to the ground with the legs bent
… a pair of cats, crouching on the brink of a fight.
Aldous Huxley
Aldous Huxley2
: to bend or bow servilely : cringe
3
: to stand at a low height
Cottages crouched along the river.
transitive verb
: to bow especially in humility or fear : bend
The dog crouched its head.
crouch noun
Synonyms
- couch
- huddle
- hunch
- hunker (down)
- scrunch
- squat
- squinch
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
She crouched down, trying to get a closer look at the spider. The lion crouched in the tall grass, waiting to attack the gazelle.
Recent Examples on the Web Riding up the escalator, Faye -- the female protagonist played by Faye Wong -- would crouch and peek into the apartment of Cop 663, played by Tony Leung, which stands right next to the escalator. CNN, 6 Sep. 2022 The new parents crouch next to Malti while Chopra Jonas holds her daughter upright in the water. Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 11 Aug. 2022 The installation’s canted, faux-masonry walls introduce a note of funhouse distortion and disorientation, inviting visitors to crouch through diagonally-slanting arched doorways. Steven Litt, cleveland, 24 July 2022 So, for once, those more famous drivers had to sit in the back, crouch down and try to enjoy the ride. Julie Jag, The Salt Lake Tribune, 14 July 2022 Land with soft knees (this marks one repetition) and immediately crouch again to repeat the process. Hayden Carpenter, Outside Online, 14 Apr. 2020 Then, have the kids mix themselves up and crouch down. Corinne Sullivan, Woman's Day, 5 May 2022 This means whoever created the art had to crouch or crawl through the chamber -- and the drawings can only be viewed by lying on the cave floor. CNN, 4 May 2022 Japanese tits, which nest in tree cavities, have one call that causes their chicks to crouch down to avoid being pulled out of the nest by crows, and another call for tree snakes that sends the chicks jumping out of the nest entirely. Betsy Mason, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Feb. 2022 See More
CNN, 6 Sep. 2022 The new parents crouch next to Malti while Chopra Jonas holds her daughter upright in the water. Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 11 Aug. 2022 The installation’s canted, faux-masonry walls introduce a note of funhouse distortion and disorientation, inviting visitors to crouch through diagonally-slanting arched doorways. Steven Litt, cleveland, 24 July 2022 So, for once, those more famous drivers had to sit in the back, crouch down and try to enjoy the ride. Julie Jag, The Salt Lake Tribune, 14 July 2022 Land with soft knees (this marks one repetition) and immediately crouch again to repeat the process. Hayden Carpenter, Outside Online, 14 Apr. 2020 Then, have the kids mix themselves up and crouch down. Corinne Sullivan, Woman's Day, 5 May 2022 This means whoever created the art had to crouch or crawl through the chamber -- and the drawings can only be viewed by lying on the cave floor. CNN, 4 May 2022 Japanese tits, which nest in tree cavities, have one call that causes their chicks to crouch down to avoid being pulled out of the nest by crows, and another call for tree snakes that sends the chicks jumping out of the nest entirely. Betsy Mason, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Feb. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a
Kids Definition
crouch 1 of 2
verb
ˈkrau̇ch
crouched; crouching
: to stoop or bend low with the arms and legs close to the body
crouch
2 of 2noun
: the position of stooping with the arms and legs close to the body
crouching
verb
as in huddling
to lie low with the limbs close to the body the cat crouched in the bushes, waiting for the right moment to pounce on the chipmunk Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- huddling
- hunching
- squatting
- scrunching
- couching
- squinching
- hunkering (down)
- curling up