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Synonyms

bunch

American  
[buhnch] / bʌntʃ /

noun

  1. a connected group; cluster.

    a bunch of grapes.
    Synonyms:
    batch, lot

  2. a group of things.

    a bunch of papers.
    Synonyms:
    batch, lot

  3. Informal. a group of people.

    They're a fine bunch of students.

  4. a knob; lump; protuberance.

verb (used with object)

  1. to group together; make a bunch of.

verb (used without object)

  1. to gather into a cluster; gather together.

  2. (of fabric or clothing) to gather into folds (often followed byup ).

bunch British  
/ bʌntʃ /

noun

  1. a number of things growing, fastened, or grouped together

    a bunch of grapes

    a bunch of keys

  2. a collection; group

    a bunch of queries

  3. informal a group or company

    a bunch of boys

  4. archaic a protuberance

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (sometimes foll by up) to group or be grouped into a bunch

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What is a basic definition of bunch? A bunch is a group of things. Bunch can also specifically mean a group that is connected together. Used informally, a bunch is a group of people. As a verb, bunch means to gather into a group.A bunch is a collection or group of items gathered into one place. If you have a bunch of papers on your desk, for example, you have many papers on your desk.

  • Used in a sentence: Angela was happy to see that there were a bunch of presents under the Christmas tree. 
The word bunch also refers to things that are connected together. In this sense, the items that make up the bunch are tied together or have something that connects them to each other.
  • Real-life examples: You might eat from a bunch of grapes and be left with just the stem. A maintenance person usually carries a bunch of keys on a ring.
  • Used in a sentence: I bought a small bunch of bananas. 
Informally, a bunch is a group of people.
  • Used in a sentence: A bunch of kids ran past us to watch the clown perform magic tricks. 
Bunch can be used to mean to gather into a group or cluster.
  • Used in a sentence: I bunched all of the wrapping paper into a ball and threw it in the trash. 

Related Words

See bundle.

Other Word Forms

  • unbunched adjective

Etymology

Origin of bunch

1275–1325; Middle English bunche; of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This crew - smallish in number but sufficiently large to assault the eardrums of the management and players - are an odd bunch.

From BBC

“Are you waiting for an invitation? Or maybe you want to bring in a bunch of flies, too?”

From Literature

I count three Mississippis before I risk another peek, only to find that he’s still looking at me, and electric sparks race up and down my arms, like a bunch of tiny firecrackers exploding.

From Literature

Clare spent half his days tending to their whims, but they were a sweet little bunch—adorable, really—short pink stems topped by clusters of yellow buttons.

From Literature

By putting money into an account dedicated to medical expenses, you get a bunch of tax perks.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.