squatted; squatting
1
: to crouch close to the ground as if to escape observation
a hare squatting in the grass
2
a
: to assume or maintain a position in which the body is supported on the feet and the knees are bent so that the buttocks rest on or near the heels
squatted by the campfire
b
: to exercise by performing a squat (see squat entry 3 sense 3a)
3
: to be or become a squatter
squat in an abandoned building
squatter; squattest
1
: sitting with the haunches close above the heels
2
a
: low to the ground
b
: marked by disproportionate shortness or thickness
squatly
adverb
squatness
noun
2
a
: a place where one squats
b
: the lair of a small animal
the squat of a hare
3
a
: an exercise in which a standing person lowers to a position in which the torso is erect and the knees are deeply bent and then rises to an upright position
Note: A squat can be done while holding weights, with a barbell on the upper back, or without weights.
b
weight lifting
: a lift involving a squat done while holding a barbell on the shoulders
also
: a competitive event involving this lift
4
chiefly British
: an empty house or building that is occupied by squatters
5
slang
: diddly-squat
Synonyms
Verb
Adjective
Noun
Examples of squat in a Sentence
Verb
He squatted behind the bush to avoid being seen.
A family has been squatting in that house for months.
Adjective
a short, squat woman
Noun
He didn't do squat all day.
She lives in a squat.
Recent Examples on the Web
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 29 June 2024
But skeletal changes in their knees, hips and ankles also point to a squatting or crouching position that many scribes preferred.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 28 June 2024
By Andrew R Chow/granbury, Texas, TIME, 8 July 2024
Engage your core and sit your hips into a squat while weights.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 28 June 2024
Aubrey Bailey, Pt, Dpt, Cht, Verywell Health, 8 July 2024
Finnegan, his save blown, dropped to a full squat after leaving a fastball right down the middle as Contreras pumped his fist while rounding first.
—Andrew Golden, Washington Post, 6 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for squat 
Verb
Somewhere, squatting in the wings, Russia is rubbing its hands—all the more greedily because, after the invasion of Ukraine, the Russian soccer team has been locked out of the Euros.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 29 June 2024
But skeletal changes in their knees, hips and ankles also point to a squatting or crouching position that many scribes preferred.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 28 June 2024
Adjective
The new facility consisted of 163 squat metal boxes resembling shipping containers, which housed a total of over 30,000 computers.
—By Andrew R Chow/granbury, Texas, TIME, 8 July 2024
Engage your core and sit your hips into a squat while weights.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 28 June 2024
Noun
This process is called osteogenesis and is specific to the body part exercised; for example, squats increase the strength of bones in the legs.
—Aubrey Bailey, Pt, Dpt, Cht, Verywell Health, 8 July 2024
Finnegan, his save blown, dropped to a full squat after leaving a fastball right down the middle as Contreras pumped his fist while rounding first.
—Andrew Golden, Washington Post, 6 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for squat
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'squat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near squat
Cite this Entry
“Squat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/squat. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
squat
1 of 3 verb
squatted; squatting
1
: to sit or cause (oneself) to sit on one's heels
2
: to occupy land as a squatter
3
: to crouch close to the ground
a hare squatting in the grass
squat
2 of 3 noun1
: the act of squatting
2
: a squatting posture
squat
3 of 3 adjective
squatter; squattest
1
: being in a squatting posture
2
: low to the ground
3
: being short and thick
squatly
adverb
squatness
noun
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