First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English monchen, variant of mocchen; of imitative origin
To munch is to eat something in a loud and enthusiastic way. If you can't stand listening to your brother munch his toast in the morning, you might decide to take your breakfast to go. When you eat something steadily, especially if it's something crunchy, you munch. You might munch on carrot sticks for a snack and then munch a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. You can also take a munch, or a bite, out of something. Munch is an imitative word, its sound echoing the actual sound of munching, but it may also have a connection to the Old French mangier, "to bite or chew."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On the walls, another nod to the idea of thinking: reproductions of works by Edvard Munch, the deeply intellectual painter.
From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026
All the Lauder pieces sold, including the Klimt, an Edvard Munch painting and Henri Matisse bronzes, for $528 million combined.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 22, 2025
Munch, a friendly, purple-ish hairball of a creature, was once the anchor of Chuck E. Cheese’s Make Believe Band.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 28, 2025
It still needs a lot of development, according to Mr Munch Smidt-Jensen.
From BBC • Jan. 20, 2025
“You know, the fancy gourmet guys who make Moose Munch and those pears? Fruit of the month?”
From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
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.
