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
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
Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Jeanroy squats down, nudges Taïga aside, and starts digging with a cavadou—a sort of pick that resembles a very scary dental tool.
—Aislyn Greene, AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025
David Zucker, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2025
Keeping your back straight, slowly lower yourself to a squat position, with knees in line with your feet.
—Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 7 Oct. 2025
Joe Smith, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
This toe squat helps loosen tendons that are wound tight from traversing uneven trails, hopping boulders, and breaking your previous record number of steps in a day.
—Kate Pitts, Outside, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squat
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Verb
And, that there was a goblin, squatting in my skull, rattling a metal pail full of bolts and hissing failure, rot, spoil.
—Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Jeanroy squats down, nudges Taïga aside, and starts digging with a cavadou—a sort of pick that resembles a very scary dental tool.
—Aislyn Greene, AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Still, a comic filming their sets was looked down on in a similar way to the gym bro filming their reps at the squat rack.
—David Zucker, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2025
Keeping your back straight, slowly lower yourself to a squat position, with knees in line with your feet.
—Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
Single-leg strength was prioritized through split squats, single-leg squats and skater squats.
—Joe Smith, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
This toe squat helps loosen tendons that are wound tight from traversing uneven trails, hopping boulders, and breaking your previous record number of steps in a day.
—Kate Pitts, Outside, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squat
Cite this Entry
“Squat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/squat. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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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