hunter

noun

hunt·​er ˈhən-tər How to pronounce hunter (audio)
Synonyms of hunternext
1
a
: a person who hunts game
b
: a dog used or trained for hunting
c
: a horse used or adapted for use in hunting with hounds
especially : a fast strong horse trained for cross-country work and jumping
2
: one that searches for something
3
: a pocket watch with a hinged protective cover

Synonyms of hunter

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of hunter in a Sentence

hunters must have a license to shoot deer
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Most hunters don't enjoy the bounty of later hunting, though. — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026 City approach this season with a different perspective, going from hunters to hunted. — Megan Feringa, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 Compare this with a similarly arresting later sequence, set deep within a magnificently mossy forest, where a band of hunters, led by Sung-ki (Zo In-sung, full of rascally charisma), do battle with Va’migere’s alien friends. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026 Boris was a fascinating character who deserves his own biopic, having been an Imperial Russian pilot, ballet dancer, caviar salesman and big-game hunter, and who hung out with Matisse, Cocteau and Stravinsky. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hunter

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hunter was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing hunter

Rhymes for hunter

See All Rhymes for hunter

Browse Nearby Words

hunt down
hunter
Hunter
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hunter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hunter. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

hunter

noun
hunt·​er ˈhənt-ər How to pronounce hunter (audio)
1
: a person who hunts
especially : one who hunts game
2
: a dog or horse used or trained for hunting

Geographical Definition

Hunter

geographical name

Hun·​ter ˈhən-tər How to pronounce Hunter (audio)
river 287 miles (462 kilometers) long in eastern New South Wales, southeastern Australia, flowing east into the Pacific

Biographical Definition

Hunter

biographical name

Hun·​ter ˈhən-tər How to pronounce Hunter (audio)
John 1728–1793 British anatomist and surgeon
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gist

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All