scrunchie

American

[skruhn-chee] / ˈskrʌn tʃi /

Or scrunchy

noun

an elastic band covered with gathered fabric, used to fasten the hair, as in a ponytail.

scrunchie British

/ ˈskrʌntʃɪ /

noun

a loop of elastic covered loosely with fabric, used to hold the hair in a ponytail, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

scrunchies

plural

Etymology

Origin of scrunchie

First recorded in 1985–90; scrunch ( def. ) + -ie ² ( def. ), perhaps influenced by the trademark Scünci

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.

Flores, 69, wore her hair in a brown scrunchie.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

She had managed to consume 24 socks, a scrunchie, two hair ties, a shoe insert, a onesie and multiple pieces of cloth.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2025

She wore her pressed-out or relaxed hair in a slicked-back bun with a gold scrunchie.

From Salon • Aug. 3, 2024

Moira: I did not buy anything, because I don’t think I know anyone who wants a Slytherin scrunchie.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 21, 2023

Mine, on the other hand, is thick and frizzy with brownish-gold strands that can escape from every scrunchie ever made.

From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023