bunny
Americannoun
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bunnies
plural
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Informal. a rabbit, especially a small or young one.
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Slang: Sometimes Disparaging and Offensive. a pretty, appealing, or alluring young woman, often one ostensibly engaged in a sport or similar activity.
beach bunny; ski bunny.
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Chiefly British. a squirrel.
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Australian and New Zealand Slang. a person imposed upon or made a fool of; victim.
adjective
noun
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Also called: bunny rabbit. a child's word for rabbit
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Also called: bunny girl. a night-club hostess whose costume includes rabbit-like tail and ears
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informal a mug; dupe
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slang a devotee of a specified pastime or activity
gym bunny
disco bunny
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slang talk, esp when inconsequential; chatter
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slang deeply dissatisfied or discontented
Sensitivity
The meaning “pretty woman” is sometimes used with disparaging intent and perceived as insulting. For instance, a beach bunny is an alluring female who frequents the beach only to meet male surfers. But bunny was originally (and still is) used as a term of endearment for a girl or young woman.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bunny
1600–10, dial. bun (tail of a) hare or rabbit, in Scots: buttocks (< Scots Gaelic bun bottom) + -y 2
Explanation
Bunny is another name for a rabbit, the soft long-eared mammal that's commonly kept as a pet and hops around on strong hind legs. Bunny is an informal word that comes from the Scottish bun, also a pet name for a rabbit. Some etymologists think it derives from an earlier meaning of bun in Scottish, "tail of a hare." You're most likely to refer to a rabbit as a bunny if you're a child, if you're talking about a pet (rather than a wild rabbit), or if you're referring to the Easter bunny.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Armed with the above ad and welcomed by a grinning private guard calling, “Here bunny, bunny, bunny!”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
Steinem became known not as a crusader for women but as a former bunny.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Before her diagnosis, McConnellogue described herself as a "non-stop Duracell bunny, on the go 24/7".
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
Eventually, a parenting coordinator texted Emily Moreno: “l’ve suggested you keep the bunny at your house . . . in a high conflict divorce these situations blow up.”
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026
The bunny emerged with a thick pencil in her mouth, and she began to sketch a picture on the floor of the raft.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
It was walking distance from the subway and had a lovely if nonfunctional fireplace, and when the baby bunnies nested in our herb garden, I thought, Yes.
From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026
I grew up with cats, dogs, birds, rats and bunnies, and my husband and I have a mutt, Mercy, whom we love dearly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026
It’s all just bravado and illusion in a show where the magician has no bunnies left to pull from his top hat.
From Salon ● May 28, 2026
Even a producer for the Dodo, an animal-centric media outlet, admitted to falling for the bouncing bunnies.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2026
“Because bunnies are wonderful. And he wanted to make me happy. Clever Glerk!”
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
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