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

• 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

The dance began with Irwin crouched atop a Jeep suped up for safari, with the junior conservationist correspondingly decked in the head-to-toe khaki uniform made famous by his dad. —Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2025

In one instance, a colleague entered Aber’s office to find an inmate crouched under his desk, according to an affidavit filed against Aber in the criminal case. —Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 16 Sep. 2025

Another photo from the roundup saw the Voyeurs actress crouched down while wearing a sheer beige top. —Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025

These societies in southeastern Asia buried their dead mostly in flexed, tightly crouched, or squatting postures, often with traces of burning. —Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 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