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• hunker
  hunker

  verb (used without object)

  to crouch or squat on one's heels.
• Hunker
  Hunker

  noun

  a member of the conservative faction in the Democratic Party in New York State, 1845–48.

hunker

¹ American  

[huhng-ker] / ˈhʌŋ kər /

verb (used without object)

1. to crouch or squat on one's heels.

   He hunkered to be at eye level with his dog.

   I can’t hunker with this bad knee.

2. 1. to hunch.

      The driver hunkered over the steering wheel.

   2. to hide, hide out, or take shelter, often for just a few hours or less, as from a pursuer or a storm.

      The escaped convicts hunkered in a cave in the mountains.

   3. to settle in to the safety of one’s home or other designated shelter for a potentially prolonged time, as would be necessitated by a natural disaster or an outbreak of a contagious disease.

      Many local residents hunkered in the basement of the fire station.

3. Slang. to lumber along; walk or move slowly or aimlessly.

   A small black bear was seen hunkering through the neighborhood.

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noun

1. hunkers, one's haunches.

verb phrase

1. hunker down. see hunker down.

idioms

1. on one's hunkers,

   1. British Informal. squatting on one's heels.

   2. suffering a period of poverty, bad luck, or the like.

Hunker ² American  

[huhng-ker] / ˈhʌŋ kər /

noun

1. a member of the conservative faction in the Democratic Party in New York State, 1845–48.

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hunker British  

/ ˈhʌŋkə /

verb

1. to squat; crouch

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Other Word Forms

• Hunkerism
  noun
• Hunkerousness
  noun
• Hunkerous
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of hunker¹

First recorded in 1710–20; apparently hunk (perhaps nasalized variant of huck “haunch”; akin to Old Norse hūka “to crouch”) + -er ⁶

Origin of Hunker²

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; origin uncertain

Explanation

To hunker is to crouch: to bend your body into a low, small shape. When you're playing hide and seek, you may decide to hunker in the back of a closet until you're found. You hunker physically when you're hiding or making space for other people or squatting to talk to a small child. You can also hunker figuratively, like when you hunker down in your house during a snowstorm, waiting to venture out until the roads have been plowed. Another way to hunker down is to focus on a task and work extra hard. We know hunker is a Scottish word, but beyond that its origins aren't clear.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hunker Hunker

Jump into an affordable public pool or hunker down at a public library, free museum, or one of the city’s public cooling centers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

It has struck hard at the group’s strongholds in Beirut’s southern suburbs, saying it has sent militants scrambling for new spots to hunker down and direct the fighting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

Financially, the sudden volatility made investors hunker down and reduce their debts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 8, 2026

Determined to survive, Iran might initially hunker down or seek to draw out any conflict.

From Barron's ● Feb. 28, 2026

She'd hunker down with me and read one of the stories with tough words in it.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

Hunker down with a bowl of this flavorful and uber-easy soup recipe that will keep you satisfied on those single-degree days.

From Salon ● Dec. 31, 2021

The headline “The Hunker Games” was submitted independently by Kevin Dopart, Tom Witte and Beverley Sharp; Jesse Frankovich wrote the honorable-mentions subhead.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 22, 2020

“Just go back home. Don’t worry about it. Hunker down.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2017

Mr. Hunker was an adviser to Cliffs in its battle with Casablanca.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2015

We all rose to our feet, except Jerry Hunker, who was lying flat on his stomach, with his head buried in his arms, and whom we had thought sound asleep.

From Cobwebs from an Empty Skull by Ambrose Bierce