Dictionary

hunker down en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) To take shelter; to prepare oneself for some eventuality; to focus on a task.
   • That test is worth half your grade, so you'd better hunker down and start studying.
   • Imagine that you are in a storm; you would not shake your fists at the clouds and the rain and yell, “Stop it, stop it NOW! This is unacceptable.” You would hunker down for safety and wait until it passes. 2016 June 29, Meghan Leahy, “A tween’s mood swings and tantrums are driving Mom crazy”, in The Washington Post, archived from the original on 11 Sep 2018:
   • If you didn’t secure a partner before coronavirus hit, you’re staring down weeks without snuggles or kisses “until further notice,” as the shuttered eateries and storefronts ominously posted.¶ “I have no one to hunker down with,” I texted my mom. 2020 April 30, Sophie Sills, “No One to Hunker Down With”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 21 Aug 2020:
   • Early in the pandemic, there was speculation that the major changes in the life of American families could lead to a recovery in the birthrate, as couples hunkered down together. 2021 May 5, Sabrina Tavernise, “The U.S. Birthrate Has Dropped Again. The Pandemic May Be Accelerating the Decline.”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 11 Aug 2021:
   • Whitney, mother of Xavier, is a real estate titan who, along with her British husband, has found her niche selling luxurious underground bunkers to wealthy clients looking for a safe space to hunker down in the event of a climate apocalypse. 2022 April 5, Elizabeth Wetmore, “How Far Will Parents Go to Protect Their Sons?”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 31 Aug 2022:
   • If you are on a higher level and can't get to a lower apartment, hunker down in the breezeway of the apartment building 2020 March 3, “Tornado Safety”, in WHAS-TV, archived from the original on 03 Apr 2023:
2. (idiomatic) To stubbornly hold to a position.

Forms

Relateds

bunker down · buckle down · knuckle down

Translations (10)

es atrincherarse (take shelter; prepare for an eventuality) · pl przygotować się (take shelter; prepare for an eventuality) · es agacharse (take shelter; prepare for an eventuality) · ca arraulir-se (take shelter; prepare for an eventuality) · ru засе́сть (take shelter; prepare for an eventuality) · fr se retrancher (take shelter; prepare for an eventuality) · ru окопа́ться (take shelter; prepare for an eventuality) · uk засі́сти (take shelter; prepare for an eventuality) · pl przygotowywać się (take shelter; prepare for an eventuality) · ru притаи́ться (take shelter; prepare for an eventuality)