chew
Americanverb (used with object)
-
chews,
present (3rd person singular)
-
chewed,
past participle, past
-
chewing
present participle
-
to crush or grind with the teeth; masticate.
-
to crush, damage, injure, etc., as if by chewing (often followed byup ).
The faulty paper feeder chewed the letters up.
-
to make by or as if by chewing.
The puppy chewed a hole in my slipper.
-
to meditate on; consider deliberately (often followed byover ).
He chewed the problem over in his mind.
verb (used without object)
-
chews,
present (3rd person singular)
-
chewed,
past participle, past
-
chewing
present participle
-
to perform the act of crushing or grinding with the teeth.
-
Informal. to chew tobacco.
-
to meditate.
noun
-
chews
plural
-
an act or instance of chewing.
-
something chewed or intended for chewing.
a chew of tobacco; taffy chews.
verb phrase
idioms
verb
-
to work the jaws and teeth in order to grind (food); masticate
-
to bite repeatedly
she chewed her nails anxiously
-
(intr) to use chewing tobacco
-
slang
-
to argue over a point
-
to talk idly; gossip
-
noun
-
the act of chewing
-
something that is chewed
a chew of tobacco
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
chewsimple
-
chewssimple
-
have chewedperfect
-
has chewedperfect
-
am chewingprogressive
-
are chewingprogressive
-
is chewingprogressive
-
have been chewingperfect progressive
-
has been chewingperfect progressive
Past
-
chewedsimple
-
had chewedperfect
-
was chewingprogressive
-
were chewingprogressive
-
had been chewingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of chew
before 1000; Middle English chewen, Old English cēowan; cognate with Old High German kiuwan ( German kauen )
Explanation
When you chew, you use your teeth to grind up food before you swallow it. It can be pretty unpleasant to watch your brother chew his pizza with his mouth open. Usually when people chew, they chew up a bite of food or chew on a candy bar. You can also chew your nails or chew your lower lip — you're not actually eating something, but just using your teeth to gnaw or bite. You can also use the word chew figuratively, to mean "think or mull over." It comes from an Old English root, ceowan, "to gnaw or chew."
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.
See Examples For:
The researchers emphasize that these findings should not be interpreted as a recommendation to chew sugary gum as a way to control blood pressure.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
“When I take a bite, I chew through small lumps of egg, presumably scrambled by the hot butter,” she writes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
On the first day of Complainant A's evidence, Donaldson seemed to chew his lower lip as he waited for her to appear on screen.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
I like my mash slightly chunky, with small bits of banana that add a nice chew to the oats.
From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026
Praying I hadn’t bitten off far more than I could chew.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
Huge front teeth bite down on the cane, and the creature chews.
From Slate ● May 27, 2026
At 94, "Star Trek" legend William Shatner chews the scenery in a Raisin Bran ad that leans into fiber jokes, introducing himself as a character named "Will Shat."
From Barron's ● Feb. 6, 2026
He descends a nearby hill, rests his neck on the nearest fence and chews at the air as though the singing vibrations were made of hay.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2025
"We're struggling to get her to school, she doesn't like going to school, it's full on school refusal. Noise is a big problem for her, she chews everything, she doesn't cope in crowds."
From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2025
He fetches at least double the number of sticks we need, and chews up half of them.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
The setup, as a reader might be fearing, is the type that puts all the scenery in danger of being chewed beyond recognition and the words “tour de force” being tossed around with gleeful abandon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
In a second phase of the study, the researchers simulated how the body might process lead if children mouthed or chewed on clothing.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 2, 2026
Now, they say, that extra money will likely get chewed up by higher gas prices.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 30, 2026
"They're herbivores, so they feed on lots of different vegetation, so you'll often see piles of sticks with the bark chewed off."
From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2026
Usually Columbia just chewed on his bone until the meat was gone.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
And after several weeks of 90-degree days, I had become devoted to grating tomatoes, an activity especially suited to weather in which chewing can seem like an unreasonable demand.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
It has enough backbone for the journey without requiring the determined chewing that makes lunch feel like a mandibular endurance event.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
To investigate, the research team tested whether chewing sugar-containing gum, which lowers the pH inside the mouth, would increase nitrite production.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
But they bought more chewing gum, mouthwash and hair dyes - products that counter common GLP-1 side effects like thinning hair and bad breath.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
So we ate ours, chewing in silence, and oh, I’d never tasted chocolate like that before.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
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.
