squat
squat — verb
1. to bend your knees and lower your body toward the floor while keeping your feet
to bend your knees and lower your body toward the floor while keeping your feet flat on the ground
Amira squatted down to pick up the keys that had fallen under the sofa.
squatted down + infinitive of purpose
The gardener squatted beside the flowerbed to examine the roots of the dying rose bush.
During the yoga class, the instructor asked everyone to squat and hold the position for ten slow breaths.
Iris squatted by the edge of the pond to watch the tadpoles swimming near the surface.
Ayesha squatted on the kitchen floor to wipe up the milk her toddler had spilled everywhere.
- crouch
similar but often implies bending the upper body forward as well as the knees
- hunker down
more informal; suggests staying low for a longer period, often for shelter or waiting
文法句型
squat + adverb/prepositional phrase of location
用法筆記
Often used with down or a prepositional phrase showing where you squat (beside, by, on, near). The subject is always a person or animal that can bend its legs.
常見錯誤
2. to take over and stay in an empty house, building, or piece of land without havi
to take over and stay in an empty house, building, or piece of land without having the owner's agreement
A group of artists squatted in the old factory and turned it into a shared studio space.
squat in + location (intransitive)
The family had been squatting in the abandoned building for nearly a year before anyone from the council noticed them.
Students squatted the empty dormitory to protest the rise in accommodation fees.
Élise found an empty flat above a bakery and decided to squat there for the rest of the summer.
The police arrived at dawn to remove the people who had been squatting on the unused farmland.
文法句型
squat in/on + noun phrase (location)
squat + noun phrase (building)
用法筆記
Frequently used in the continuous form (be squatting) to describe the ongoing act of living somewhere without permission. For the building itself, use the noun sense (a squat).
常見錯誤
squat — adjective
1. having a low, broad shape that is noticeably wider or thicker than it is tall
having a low, broad shape that is noticeably wider or thicker than it is tall
The garden was surrounded by a squat stone wall covered in thick green moss.
squat + noun phrase (object description)
Amihan carried a squat glass jar filled with homemade pickles to the farmer's market.
The old village church had a squat tower that looked more like a fortress than a place of worship.
Ilan chose a squat ceramic pot for the succulent plant on his study desk.
用法筆記
Describes a permanent or built-in shape of objects, buildings, or body types, not a temporary position. Often carries a slightly negative or plain tone about the appearance.
常見錯誤
squat — noun
1. a position in which your knees are bent deeply and your bottom rests near or jus
a position in which your knees are bent deeply and your bottom rests near or just above your heels
Chiara held a deep squat for nearly a minute during her warm-up routine at the gym.
hold a squat / deep squat
The toddler dropped into a squat to examine a small beetle crawling across the pavement.
Selim's legs started to ache after maintaining the squat for more than thirty seconds.
From a squat, Sofia could see the tiny wildflowers hidden low in the long grass.
- crouch
similar posture but often involves more forward lean of the upper body
2. a fitness move done by standing with legs apart, bending your knees to drop your
a fitness move done by standing with legs apart, bending your knees to drop your body down, then pushing back up to a standing position, usually repeated several times
The personal trainer showed Sora how to do a squat without putting too much pressure on the knees.
do a squat
Each morning Olivia does twenty squats before leaving the house for her walk to work.
A properly performed squat strengthens your thighs, hips, and lower back all at the same time.
The fitness instructor counted aloud while the class performed their squats in time with the music.
Piotr added extra weights to his squats to build more muscle in his legs and core.
- squat thrust
a different exercise combining a squat with a leg thrust movement
用法筆記
Often used in the plural form squats when referring to multiple repetitions or as a general workout routine. Common in gym and fitness contexts.
常見錯誤
3. a house or empty building that people occupy without the owner's consent, usuall
a house or empty building that people occupy without the owner's consent, usually as a place to live
The young artist's studio was a squat in an old factory building near the canal.
a squat in [location]
Amira found a community of musicians living together in a squat on the edge of the city.
The local government ordered the residents to leave the squat by the end of the month.
Iris decorated the walls of the squat with bright paintings and band posters she had collected.
- squatter camp
a larger area or settlement of illegally occupied dwellings
- shanty
a small, roughly built shelter, often in a squatter settlement
用法筆記
Refers to the physical building or place, not the act of living there. To describe the action, use the verb sense squat.
常見錯誤
4. used in informal American speech to mean nothing, especially after a negative st
used in informal American speech to mean nothing, especially after a negative statement or in a disappointed context
My older brother knows squat about fixing cars, but he talks as if he were a professional mechanic.
know squat about [topic]
"What did the boss offer for all that extra work?" "Squat — not even a word of thanks."
gets squat / offers squat (in dialogue)
Ilan asked for a better salary after five years in the job, but he got squat from the management.
The newcomer knew squat about the customs of the small village and kept making awkward mistakes.
- nothing
neutral; the standard word for zero amount
- diddly-squat
more emphatic and even more informal than squat alone
- zip
common informal alternative to nothing, especially in American English
- everything
all that exists; the opposite of nothing
用法筆記
Almost always appears in negative contexts or informal responses where the speaker is frustrated. Avoid using in formal writing. Related form: diddly-squat (more emphatic).