hunch

1 of 2

verb

ˈhənch 

hunched; hunching; hunches

transitive verb

1

: to push or put (someone or something) in a rough, careless, or hasty manner : thrust, shove

I would hunch my chair … closer to my dear and only cronies

—Mary Nash

2

: to thrust or bend (someone or something) over into a humped or crooked position

hunched his shoulders as he headed out into the storm

sat hunched over the table reading a map

kept his … body hunched slightly forward

—Tennessee Williams

intransitive verb

1

: to thrust oneself forward

hunched along for a short spell of safe steps

—T. B. Costain

2

a

: to assume a bent or crooked posture

folded his hands on the table and hunched forward

—Hugh MacLennan

b

: to draw oneself into a ball : curl up

hunch beneath the covers

—Randall Jarrell

c

: huddle, squat

we hunched close to the damp earth

—H. D. Skidmore

the mountains hunched around the valley

—Helen Rich

hunch

2 of 2

noun

1

: an act or instance of pushing someone or something in a rough or careless manner : an act or instance of hunching (see hunch entry 1 sense transitive)

give him a good hunch with your foot

—Abraham Tucker

2

a

: a thick piece : lump

barter it for a hunch of cake

—Flora Thompson

b

: a rounded mass : hump

his back carried a huge hunch

—William Scoresby

3

: a strong intuitive feeling concerning especially a future event or result

had a hunch I would find you here

Synonyms

Verb

• couch
• crouch
• huddle
• hunker (down)
• scrunch
• squat
• squinch

Examples of hunch in a Sentence

Verb

He hunched his shoulders as he headed out into the storm.

he hunched next to a bush to avoid being seen

Noun

My hunch is that the stock is going to go up in value.

“How did you know I'd be here?” “It was just a hunch.”

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Or else hunched over his phone, spamming friends with audio selfies and guilt-inducing invitations to his Friday-night dad-band bar set. —Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 19 May 2025

After the play, the 7-foot center was visibly hunched over, clutching his left hand in pain. —C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 10 May 2025

Noun

The execution is still good, but my hunches aren’t. —Lacey Rose, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2025

Our hunch is Utah’s administration is looking for reasons to keep Smith, not fire him. —Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

1581, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1630, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing hunch

• have a hunch

Rhymes for hunch

• brunch
• bunch
• chinch
• crunch
• lunch
• punch
• keypunch

Kids Definition

hunch

1 of 2 verb

ˈhənch 

1

: to push oneself forward by jerks

hunch nearer the fire

2

: to bend one's body into an arch or hump

were hunched over the table

3

: to draw up close together or into an arch

hunched my shoulders

hunch

2 of 2 noun

1

: hump entry 1 sense 1

2

: a strong feeling about what will happen : intuition