English Reference

Word

huddled

Phoneticshud·dled

US/ˈhədəɫd/

UK/hˈʌdəld/

Definition

adj. standing or sitting very close together in a small group, usually because of cold or fear.

adj. crowded or gathered closely together in a tight group. Often used to describe people seeking warmth, protection, or privacy.

Examples

“The cold children stood huddled together for warmth.”

“A small group of commuters stood huddled under the bus stop during the sudden rainstorm.”

“The refugees remained huddled in the makeshift shelter, their faces illuminated only by the flickering light of a single lantern as the wind howled outside.”

Examples

simple

“The cold children stood huddled together for warmth.”

contextual

“A small group of commuters stood huddled under the bus stop during the sudden rainstorm.”

complex

“The refugees remained huddled in the makeshift shelter, their faces illuminated only by the flickering light of a single lantern as the wind howled outside.”

Usage

Often used with the adverb 'together' or followed by a prepositional phrase like 'against the cold'.

Real-World Examples

“Inside, two officers huddled around a kettle and a wooden desk sipping hot tea.”
BBC · 13 Jun 2024

Etymology

From huddle + -ed.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/huddled

English Reference