hunker down
Crouch low, dig in, and wait it out.
Also called hunker.
Updated September 24, 2026
hunker down pronunciation
/HUNG-ker down/
Meaning
Hunker down started as squatting on your heels. In Southern talk it grew into staying put through bad weather, hard times, or a long chore. You pull in close, keep your head down, and ride it out. Storm night on a porch, winter in a trailer, or just finishing a job you do not want to quit midstream.
How folks use it
- “We better hunker down; that storm's fixin' to tear through here.”
- “He hunkered down by the stove and waited for the coffee to boil.”
Origin and etymology
Hunker is old Scots for squatting on your haunches, recorded in the 1700s. Scotch-Irish speech helped carry it into Appalachia and the South. The Southern U.S. phrase hunker down shows up by the early 1900s for crouching and, later, for digging in through trouble. Weather desk talk made it famous nationwide, but the country sense was already there.
Frequently asked questions
Does hunker down always mean hide from a storm?
No. That is a common use, but it can also mean squat down or settle in to get something done.