hunch

American  

[huhnch] / hʌntʃ /

verb (used with object)

1. to thrust out or up in a hump; arch.

   to hunch one's back.

2. to shove, push, or jostle.

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verb (used without object)

1. to thrust oneself forward jerkily; lunge forward.

2. to stand, sit, or walk in a bent posture.

noun

1. a premonition or suspicion; guess.

   I have a hunch he'll run for reelection.

   Synonyms:

   conjecture, theory, feeling, surmise

2. a hump.

3. a push or shove.

4. a lump or thick piece.

hunch British  

/ hʌntʃ /

noun

1. an intuitive guess or feeling

2. another word for hump

3. a lump or large piece

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verb

1. to bend or draw (oneself or a part of the body) up or together

2. to sit in a hunched position

Etymology

Origin of hunch

1590–1600; 1900–05 hunch for def. 5; apparently variant of obsolete hinch to push, shove, kick < ?

Example Sentences

Aunt Melissa even stands like Dad—slightly hunched over, with a curious tilt of the head.

From Literature

Sheba scowled as she hunched her shoulders and stared at Rowan.

From Literature

“I just have a hunch that we should give him a chance.”

From Literature

He had to spread his legs as far as they would go and hunch over to keep from being blown back down the bank.

From Literature

To challenge that, he made Clark Kent a nerd, hunching his shoulders, making him sputter with nervousness.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• inkling
• instinct
• intuition
• premonition