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

Finally, the day arrived, and my friend Kelly Curtis and then-girlfriend Nancy Wilson were crouched behind the camera with Amy. —Cameron Crowe, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025

Right then, crouched on the floor of MacDowell’s Cheney studio, Luise discovered a whole new way of working. —Grace Edquist, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025

Cora was crouched next to the oven when Sam found her. —Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025

In a video shared by media agency Nashville Experience on Instagram, Urban crouched down to ask a fan her name while interacting with the crowd, but was caught off guard by her response. —Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 18 Oct. 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