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

Spreading her clawed toes against the floor of the nest, Snaggletooth crouches and pounces at the fly. — Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026

Beanie took them in her mouth and carried them one by one up the ramp to where Lyndon Johnson crouched in a tunnel. — Madeline Ffitch, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026

Photographed by Werner, the shoe’s campaign is shot inside a minimal studio with people, leaning, sprawling or crouching, with the aim to build a small world around the shoe. — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2026

Printed, cut out, and taped low along a gallery baseboard, these quotes are hard to read without crouching. — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 25 Oct. 2026

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