hunched

Everyday

1. Bent forward with the back curved and shoulders raised. tree →
2. (verb) To bend your back and shoulders forward, often from cold, tiredness or worry. tree →
3. «hunched over» something — leaning over it closely. tree →

In the lessons

In stories it paints a picture: a hunched old man, a child hunched over a book, someone hunched against the wind. In health lessons pupils learn that sitting hunched over a screen is bad for the back. Phrases: hunched over, hunched up, hunched shoulders.

Examples

• She sat hunched over her homework. tree →
• The old man walked slowly, hunched against the wind. tree →
• Don't sit hunched over your tablet. tree →
• He hunched his shoulders in the cold. tree →
• The cat sat hunched on the wall. tree →
• They were hunched together under one umbrella. tree →
• She sat hunched up against the wail, and as she looked like a bundle of rags they did not notice her. tree →

Note

Past of hunch. «A hunch» is also a different noun: a feeling or guess without proof («I had a hunch he'd win»). Opposite of hunched: upright, straight.