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

2

: 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 of crouch

• huddle
• hunch
• squat

Examples of crouch in a Sentence

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

Hilaria then put the camera down and backed away from it before crouching down on the floor and going into a headstand. —Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 3 Dec. 2025

When the main store manager directed everyone to move to a back hallway, Jackson said, one mother crouching on the floor with her three small children and calling out for a fourth she had been separated from, was paralyzed with fear. —Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025

He was crouched over to the side of the passenger door. —Betsy Shuller, CBS News, 30 Nov. 2025

Sam Walsh, an osteoarcheologist from the University of Lancashire, was crouched over the remains, preparing to remove them for study. —Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Rhymes for crouch

• bouche
• couch
• grouch
• ouch
• pouch
• slouch
• vouch

Kids Definition

crouch

verb

ˈkrau̇ch 

: to stoop or bend low with the arms and legs close to the body

crouch noun