hunker

hun·ker

H0326900 (hŭng′kər)intr.v. hun·kered, hun·ker·ing, hun·kers 1. To squat close to the ground; crouch. Usually used with down: hunkered down to avoid the icy wind.2. To take shelter, settle in, or hide out. Usually used with down: hunkered down in the cabin during the blizzard.3. To hold stubbornly to a position. Usually used with down: "As the White House hunkered down, G.O.P. congressional unity started crumbling" (Time).n. hunkers The haunches.

[Perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse hokra, to crouch.]

hunker

(ˈhʌŋkə) vb (often foll by: down) to squat; crouch

hun•ker

(ˈhʌŋ kər)

v. -kered, -ker•ing,
n. v.i. 1. to squat on one's heels (often fol. by down). 2. to hunch: students hunkering over their books. 3. to hide, hide out, or take shelter (usu. fol. by down). 4. to hold firmly or stubbornly to one's opinion, course, etc., as when criticized or thwarted (usu. fol. by down). n. 5. hunkers, the haunches. [1710–20; appar. hunk (perhaps alter. of huck haunch)]

hunker

Past participle: hunkered
Gerund: hunkering

Imperative
hunker
hunker

Present
I hunker
you hunker
he/she/it hunkers
we hunker
you hunker
they hunker

Preterite
I hunkered
you hunkered
he/she/it hunkered
we hunkered
you hunkered
they hunkered

Present Continuous
I am hunkering
you are hunkering
he/she/it is hunkering
we are hunkering
you are hunkering
they are hunkering

Present Perfect
I have hunkered
you have hunkered
he/she/it has hunkered
we have hunkered
you have hunkered
they have hunkered

Past Continuous
I was hunkering
you were hunkering
he/she/it was hunkering
we were hunkering
you were hunkering
they were hunkering

Past Perfect
I had hunkered
you had hunkered
he/she/it had hunkered
we had hunkered
you had hunkered
they had hunkered

Future
I will hunker
you will hunker
he/she/it will hunker
we will hunker
you will hunker
they will hunker

Future Perfect
I will have hunkered
you will have hunkered
he/she/it will have hunkered
we will have hunkered
you will have hunkered
they will have hunkered

Future Continuous
I will be hunkering
you will be hunkering
he/she/it will be hunkering
we will be hunkering
you will be hunkering
they will be hunkering

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been hunkering
you have been hunkering
he/she/it has been hunkering
we have been hunkering
you have been hunkering
they have been hunkering

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been hunkering
you will have been hunkering
he/she/it will have been hunkering
we will have been hunkering
you will have been hunkering
they will have been hunkering

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been hunkering
you had been hunkering
he/she/it had been hunkering
we had been hunkering
you had been hunkering
they had been hunkering

Conditional
I would hunker
you would hunker
he/she/it would hunker
we would hunker
you would hunker
they would hunker

Past Conditional
I would have hunkered
you would have hunkered
he/she/it would have hunkered
we would have hunkered
you would have hunkered
they would have hunkered

Thesaurus

Verb

hunker - sit on one's heels; "In some cultures, the women give birth while squatting"; "The children hunkered down to protect themselves from the sandstorm"hunker down, scrunch up, squat, scrunch, crouchsit, sit down - be seated

hunker

verb1. To stoop low with the limbs pulled in close to the body.Also used with down:crouch, huddle, hunch, squat.2. To sit on one's heels.Also used with down:squat.

Translations

hunker

hunker down

1. Literally, to squat. The magician hunkered down to the eye level of the children.2. To seek refuge in a particular place or area. We hunkered down at home with some movies while the blizzard raged all weekend.3. To work or begin to work on something in a determined matter. I can't believe I didn't get an A on my project after I'd hunkered down all weekend to do it!4. To stubbornly maintain some belief. It seems he's hunkered down and will never see me as anything but the villain in his life.See also: down, hunker

on (one's) hunkers

In a crouching position; bending down with one's heels on the ground and one's knees bent. Due to my arthritis, I can no longer get down on my hunkers and play with my grandchildren. He sat on his hunkers to inspect the leak beneath the sink.See also: hunker, on

hunker down to (something)

To work or begin to work on something in a determined matter. I can't believe I didn't get an A on my project after I'd hunkered down to it all weekend!See also: down, hunker

hunker down (on something)

Fig. to squat down on one's heels, a stool, a stone, etc. Jeff hunkered down on the pavement and watched the world go by. He hunkered down to take a rest.See also: down, hunker

hunker down to something

Fig. to apply oneself to something, to get started working at something. I hunkered down to my chores, hoping to get them done before noon. If you want to get a good grade on that report, you'd better hunker down to it.See also: down, hunker

on your ˈhunkers

sitting on your heels with your knees bent up in front of you: The little boy took out his favourite red sports car, and was delighted when Tom went down on his hunkers and admired the toy.See also: hunker, on

hunker down

v.1. To sit on the heels with the knees bent forward; squat: My personal trainer hunkered down to help me with the barbells.2. To take shelter or refuge: The campers hunkered down in the cabin during the blizzard.3. To hold stubbornly to some position: The candidates hunkered down and refused to admit their mistakes.4. To apply oneself and start working seriously at something: You need to hunker down and study if you're going to pass that test.See also: down, hunker

hunker

hun·ker

hunker

hun•ker

hunker

hunker

hunker

hunker down

on (one's) hunkers

hunker down to (something)

hunker down (on something)

hunker down to something

on your ˈhunkers

hunker down

hunker

Synonyms for hunker

verb to stoop low with the limbs pulled in close to the body

Synonyms

verb to sit on one's heels

Synonyms

Synonyms for hunker

verb sit on one's heels

Synonyms

Related Words