hunch
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to thrust out or up in a hump; arch.
to hunch one's back.
-
to shove, push, or jostle.
verb (used without object)
-
to thrust oneself forward jerkily; lunge forward.
-
to stand, sit, or walk in a bent posture.
noun
-
a premonition or suspicion; guess.
I have a hunch he'll run for reelection.
- Synonyms:
- conjecture, theory, feeling, surmise
-
a hump.
-
a push or shove.
-
a lump or thick piece.
noun
-
an intuitive guess or feeling
-
another word for hump
-
a lump or large piece
verb
-
to bend or draw (oneself or a part of the body) up or together
-
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Much of the panic driving recent selloffs has been based on futuristic hunches or kneejerk assessments of the impact of new AI tools.
From Barron's
Much of the panic driving recent selloffs has been based on futuristic hunches or kneejerk assessments of the impact of new AI tools.
From Barron's
Her cheeks sagged past her jaw and she was hunched over on a gnarled stick that shook under her hand.
From Literature
Workers were hunched over their desks pouring over designs, with the looks still "in pieces".
From Barron's
Mom and Dad were right in front of them, talking in low grim voices, their shoulders hunched over in defeat and dismay.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
