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

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

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

Eventually, the camera revealed Bell crouched beside Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester, joking that a hangry Meester wrote the dialogue. —Lindsay Kimble, People.com, 24 Feb. 2025

The artist emerged crouched on the hood of a muscle car, moody and looking downward. —Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025

One Friday last September, employees at a First Federal Bank of Kansas City branch in Independence, suspicious of a man crouched near the front of the building, locked their doors and soon heard an explosive noise. —Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 7 Feb. 2025

Then, partway through the flight, a man crouched in the aisle next to her seat. —Autumn Barnes, NPR, 3 Feb. 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