squat

American  

[skwot] / skwɒt /

verb (used without object)

• squats,
  present (3rd person singular)
• squatted,
  past participle,  past
• squat,
  past participle,  past
• squatting
  present participle

1. to sit in a low or crouching position with the legs drawn up closely beneath or in front of the body; sit on one's haunches or heels.

2. to crouch down or cower, as an animal.

3. to settle on or occupy property, especially otherwise unoccupied property, without any title, right, or payment of rent.

4. to settle on public land under government regulation, in order to acquire title.

5. Nautical. (of a vessel, especially a power vessel) to draw more water astern when in motion forward than when at rest.

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verb (used with object)

• squats,
  present (3rd person singular)
• squatted,
  past participle,  past
• squat,
  past participle,  past
• squatting
  present participle

1. to cause to squat.

2. to occupy (property) as a squatter.

adjective

squatter, squattest

1. (of a person, animal, the body, etc.) short and thickset.

   Synonyms:

   blocky, stocky, dumpy

2. low and thick or broad.

   The building had a squat shape.

3. seated or being in a squatting position; crouching.

noun

• squats
  plural

1. the act or fact of squatting.

2. a squatting position or posture.

3. a weightlifting exercise in which a person squats and then returns to an erect position while holding a barbell at the back of the shoulders.

4. Nautical. the tendency of a vessel to draw more water astern when in motion than when stationary.

5. Slang. diddly-squat.

6. a place occupied by squatters.

squat British  

/ skwɒt /

verb

1. to rest in a crouching position with the knees bent and the weight on the feet

2. to crouch down, esp in order to hide

3. law (tr) to occupy land or property to which the occupant has no legal title

4. weightlifting to crouch down to one's knees and rise to a standing position while holding (a specified weight) behind one's neck

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adjective

1. Also: squatty. short and broad

   a squat chair

noun

1. a squatting position

2. weightlifting an exercise in which a person crouches down and rises up repeatedly while holding a barbell at shoulder height

3. a house occupied by squatters

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• squatness
  noun
• squatly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• squats
  plural

Participles

• squatting
  present
• squat
  past
• squatted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• squat
  simple
• squats
  simple
• have squat
  perfect
• have squatted
  perfect
• has squat
  perfect
• has squatted
  perfect
• am squatting
  progressive
• are squatting
  progressive
• is squatting
  progressive
• have been squatting
  perfect progressive
• has been squatting
  perfect progressive

Past

• squat
  simple
• squatted
  simple
• had squat
  perfect
• had squatted
  perfect
• was squatting
  progressive
• were squatting
  progressive
• had been squatting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will squat
  simple
• will have squat
  perfect
• will have squatted
  perfect
• will be squatting
  progressive
• will have been squatting
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of squat

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English (verb) squatten, from Old French esquater, esquatir, equivalent to es- + quatir, from unattested Vulgar Latin coactīre “to compress,” equivalent to Latin coāct(us), past participle of cōgere “to compress” ( co- + ag(ere) “to drive” + -tus past participle suffix) + -īre infinitive suffix; (noun) Middle English, derivative of the verb; see origin at ex- ¹, co-

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Explanation

If you crouch down very low and sit on your heels, you squat. If you have to talk to a small child, you might have to squat to talk face-to-face. The verb squat also means to illegally occupy a building — especially to live in it. If you own vacant property, you need to be careful that someone doesn't decide to squat in the empty house. As an adjective, squat describes someone who is very short and thick. In the movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the dwarfs are depicted as squat little men.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

squat squats squatter squatted squatting

It’s big, too, nearly 10 miles long, and peaky, with some squat concrete buildings up at the crest of one of the hills, and a single telegraph pole.

From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026

She stood on the podium in the Under 57kg category at the championship after getting two golds in squat and deadlift, and a bronze in the bench event.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

It’s not about having to squat 500 pounds but more being able to run and have fast legs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

A squat little gem painted gold, filled with vermouth jelly, surrounded by blueberry toast.

From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026

There, at the base, was a squat, round structure, piled with layers of old blankets and tarps.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline

Exercises that target the lower body, such as squats or the leg press, are especially important because these muscles allow us to get out of a chair, climb stairs and move confidently.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026

So ditch the ball for some dumb bells and squats and get to work.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

No big deal: some pull-ups, some push-ups, a few squats.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026

Strength-training exercises, such as wall squats or holding the plank position, are among the best ways to lower blood pressure.

From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2026

Then she walks over to me and squats down in front of my platform.

From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli

Or is about to when she realizes her squatter is Misty Green, minor celebrity, and so grants her a week until eviction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Patent and Trademark Office, Tesla said Unibev was “a bad-faith trademark squatter, who started as a Tesla fan” and described the French company’s attempt to trademark the Cybercab moniker as fraudulent.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 16, 2026

Animal control officers from Pasadena Humane confirmed that a bear was living under an Altadena house Sunday but could not be sure if the latest bear squatter was the same bruin from the earlier incident.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2026

This was a squatter camp outside Johannesburg in 1994 as South Africa prepared to vote in its first non-racial elections.

From BBC ● May 25, 2024

He had been approached by a man named Komo, who was representing a squatter camp outside of Johannesburg that the government was seeking to relocate.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Star running back Jadan Baugh squatted such an astronomical number—600 pounds—that the conditioning staff prohibited him from throwing any more weight on the machine.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

It is an imposing black puck of a building squatted over the most claustrophobic transit hub in America.

From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026

Many others throughout the country -- particularly around the capital Tirana and Albania's principal port, Durres, were simply squatted.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

Others squatted on balcony steps or leaned against walls for the roughly 90-minute service.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 3, 2026

The little fellow just squatted there on the ground, all humped up, with his eyes closed, and let the other monkeys lick away.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

Even as videos of his superhuman strength—showing him squatting, for example, 600 pounds—continue to circulate on YouTube.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

This downtrodden expanse of the Antelope Valley unexpectedly achieved a remarkable turnaround last year, reducing by more than half the number of recreational vehicles squatting on its back roads.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

Her early success "only intensified her commitment to stand by the common man - squatting with vendors, arriving wherever there was trouble, dressing simply and making it her hallmark style".

From BBC ● May 5, 2026

Ahead of the launch of its Cybercab vehicle, Tesla accuses Unibev of fraud and trademark squatting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026

He was squatting under the long briars of a dog rose and did not turn his head as Hazel came up beside him.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

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Related Words

• cower
• crouch
• hunch
• perch
• sit
• stoop

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