A bunny is an informal, affectionate word for a rabbit, especially when talking about young rabbits or pet rabbits. You might call the soft, floppy-eared creature hopping around your backyard a bunny, while a scientist studying the same animal in the wild would call it a rabbit.

The word bunny makes rabbits sound cute and friendly, which is why it appears so often in children's stories and springtime celebrations. Think of the Easter Bunny, Bugs Bunny, or the Velveteen Rabbit (who gets called a bunny throughout the story). When a toddler sees a rabbit, they're more likely to squeal “bunny!” than use the more formal word.

People sometimes use bunny in other phrases too. Dust bunnies are those clumps of dust and hair that gather under furniture. A bunny slope is a gentle hill where beginners learn to ski. And someone might be called an eager bunny if they're enthusiastically excited about something, though this usage is less common.

While bunny and rabbit mean the same animal, bunny carries a warmer, gentler feeling. You'd write about bunnies in a children's book but rabbits in a nature guide.