hunch

[huhnch]

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.

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

/ hʌntʃ /

noun

1. an intuitive guess or feeling

2. another word for hump

3. a lump or large piece

verb

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

2. to sit in a hunched position

Word History and Origins

Origin of hunch¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of hunch¹

C16: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

A woman screamed as she hunched over the body of one of the victims, who were laid out in a line, covered in make-shift shrouds, some stained with blood.

Read more on Barron's

The duo were an unusual pairing: Ball was the quiet technician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all glitter and eye-liner; but they achieved a rare musical alchemy.

Read more on BBC

The others express misgivings about killing someone on a hunch.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In the dimly lit room, men hunch over their looms, shuttling cotton threads back and forth as their feet work a complex pedal system that never seems to rest.

Read more on Barron's

At the same time, the feats of Mr. Goddio and company—accomplished through a combination of mathematics, historical hunches and old-fashioned deep-sea diving—will keep a viewer afloat.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• inkling 
• instinct 
• intuition 
• premonition