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
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 27 July 2025
Avoid crouching or bending over: Biologists think mountain lions don’t view upright humans as prey, but someone squatting might resemble a four-legged animal.
—Tina Chen, Mercury News, 25 July 2025
Brandi Jones, Verywell Health, 17 July 2025
The sides fell from the packing crate, and the Roadrunner, a squat device that looked a little like a penguin, was propelled upward by two turbojets.
—Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
Jakob Roze, Health, 31 July 2025
Fall into the pool at a weird angle, then re-adjust his body, fall into a single-leg squat at the bottom of the pool and try to jump off of that.
—Chad Graff, New York Times, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for squat
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Verb
The drug dealing, human trafficking, crime, and now squatting in empty houses have gone on long enough.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 27 July 2025
Avoid crouching or bending over: Biologists think mountain lions don’t view upright humans as prey, but someone squatting might resemble a four-legged animal.
—Tina Chen, Mercury News, 25 July 2025
Adjective
Squatting: If your provider approves, try squat exercises with gentle support.
—Brandi Jones, Verywell Health, 17 July 2025
The sides fell from the packing crate, and the Roadrunner, a squat device that looked a little like a penguin, was propelled upward by two turbojets.
—Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
Noun
Exercises that train this muscle include clamshells, side-lying leg lifts, Bulgarian split squats, lateral band walks, and standing hip abductions.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 31 July 2025
Fall into the pool at a weird angle, then re-adjust his body, fall into a single-leg squat at the bottom of the pool and try to jump off of that.
—Chad Graff, New York Times, 29 July 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 3 Aug. 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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