crouch
Americanverb (used without object)
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crouches,
present (3rd person singular)
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crouched,
past participle, past
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crouching
present participle
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to stoop or bend low.
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to bend close to the ground, as an animal preparing to spring or shrinking with fear.
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to bow or stoop servilely; cringe.
verb (used with object)
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crouches,
present (3rd person singular)
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crouched,
past participle, past
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crouching
present participle
noun
verb
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(intr) to bend low with the limbs pulled up close together, esp (of an animal) in readiness to pounce
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(intr) to cringe, as in humility or fear
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(tr) to bend (parts of the body), as in humility or fear
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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crouchsimple
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crouchessimple
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have crouchedperfect
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has crouchedperfect
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am crouchingprogressive
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are crouchingprogressive
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is crouchingprogressive
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have been crouchingperfect progressive
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has been crouchingperfect progressive
Past
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crouchedsimple
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had crouchedperfect
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was crouchingprogressive
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were crouchingprogressive
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had been crouchingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of crouch
1175–1225; Middle English crouchen, perhaps blend of couchen to lie down ( see couch) and croken to crook 1
Explanation
To crouch is to bend your knees, pull your body in, and sit on your heels. This position is called a crouch. You might crouch down to pet a kitten or catch a baseball. The catcher in baseball stands in a low crouch, waiting for the pitch. Little kids might crouch in a closet or under a table when they play hide and seek. People crouch when they’re in a small space or to keep themselves warm. When you’re in a crouch, your body takes up less space. Crouch comes from the French crochir, "become bent or crooked," after the shape of a hook or a croche.
Vocabulary lists containing crouch
Unit 1: Telling Details
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"Raymond's Run"
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From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
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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:
She’d occasionally crouch down to take a sip from her water bottle, which matched her ensemble.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
Others carry the earth to a nearby seasonal river, where mostly women crouch in the murky water, washing and sifting mud and sand hoping to detect a tiny trace of the element.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
The sound of our leadership now makes us all crouch too low.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026
Seen through this lens, the Monroe Doctrine was more a defensive crouch than the posture of a global hegemon.
From Barron's ● Mar. 20, 2026
They would crouch in their foil-lined blind in complete silence, Butler repeatedly checking his equipment, while Artemis stared unblinking through the eye of the scope.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
The woman crouches, coaxing the animal with sweet compliments and a stick of sugarcane she brought with her.
From Slate ● May 27, 2026
He crouches unusually low in the ring to maintain his balance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 24, 2026
But the photos posted in between captured a different tone: In one photo Hadid crouches on the floor in the corner of an elevator.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2025
On the other end of the spectrum crouches The Liver King, the subject of a recently debuted episode of Netflix’s “Untold” sports documentary series.
From Salon ● Jun. 1, 2025
He crouches beside me, leans into my space to study my work.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Then three soldiers climbed onto the rubble, in a line, as if in formation, and crouched down to listen.
From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026
The 40-year-old Ghanaian walked a few steps to the corner of the silent court room, crouched and covered his face.
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026
Inside the restroom, Quinton crouched near a corner.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 26, 2026
Raimund crouched down and roared with pleasure as he landed his final-round jump.
From Barron's ● Feb. 9, 2026
Gabi is crouched down beside me, helping me gather my things.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
McClellan walked around to each child, crouching down to help.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
Applegate was crouching at the scorer’s table waiting to be buzzed in.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 6, 2026
He had toiled at car washes the whole time — crouching to scrub tires, stretching to dry roofs and returning home each night with aching heels and knots in his neck.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 23, 2025
As she was crouching, she lost her balance and fell.
From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2025
I was crouching down to avoid the fist of the butcher, but was so happy to hear the voice of Mrs. Wishart letting us go first.
From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
