chirp
verb (used without object)
to make a characteristic short, sharp sound, as small birds and certain insects.
chirp
American
[churp]
/ tʃɜrp /
verb (used without object)
-
chirps,
present (3rd person singular)
-
chirped,
past participle, past
-
chirping
present participle
-
to make a characteristic short, sharp sound, as small birds and certain insects.
-
to make any similar sound.
The children chirped with amusement.
verb (used with object)
-
chirps,
present (3rd person singular)
-
chirped,
past participle, past
-
chirping
present participle
noun
-
chirps
plural
chirp
1
British
/ tʃɜːp /
verb
-
(esp of some birds and insects) to make a short high-pitched sound
-
to speak in a lively fashion
noun
CHIRP
2
British
/ tʃɜːp /
acronym
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
chirpsimple
-
chirpssimple
-
have chirpedperfect
-
has chirpedperfect
-
am chirpingprogressive
-
are chirpingprogressive
-
is chirpingprogressive
-
have been chirpingperfect progressive
-
has been chirpingperfect progressive
Past
-
chirpedsimple
-
had chirpedperfect
-
was chirpingprogressive
-
were chirpingprogressive
-
had been chirpingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of chirp
1400–50; late Middle English chyrpynge (gerund); expressive word akin to cheep, chirk, etc.
Explanation
A chirp is the short, high sound a bird makes. The chirps of the robins at your bird feeder through the open window might drive your cat crazy. Birds chirp — you could also say they tweet, twitter, cheep, and warble — and some insects chirp too. An extremely cheerful person also chirps: "The overly enthusiastic tour guide chirps happily as the bus moves through the city." Chirp may have developed as an imitation of the sound itself, or it may stem from the Middle English chirken, "twitter," which is rooted in the Old English cearcian, "to creak."
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:
For the first time, astronomers had observed a supernova producing a quasi periodic signal that increased in frequency, forming a "chirp."
From Science Daily ● Mar. 11, 2026
“But if you had the same player chirp and chirp, that player that’s just always on you, literally anything they say goes through one ear and out the other.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2025
David Warner fired shots for his old team-mates on Saturday, following chirp from Steve Smith and Nathan Lyon.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2025
I could hardly take another disappointment delivered with a cheerful chirp to my inbox.
From Slate ● Jan. 2, 2025
The rolling chirp of the crickets passed through the early-morning air.
From "The Ugly One" by Leanne Statland Ellis
CHIRP, the Chicago Independent Radio Project, raised $6,000 in seed money.
From Chicago Tribune ● Mar. 9, 2011
“I’m going to put on my bathing suit right now!” she chirps from her bedroom, sounding happier than most about the prospect of changing into swimwear on a raw and cloudy afternoon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026
There are pine forests, waterfalls, wildflowers and more than 50 species of endangered or threatened plants, along with the colorful flickers and chirps of more than 490 species of birds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 21, 2025
Kate says, appearing shocked at the implication, and once her friends relax again, she chirps.
From Salon ● Mar. 10, 2025
These beady-eyed amphibians can be found on the banks of noisy streams throughout China, where the rapids would drown out ordinary croaks and chirps.
From Science Magazine ● Mar. 11, 2024
Howls and chirps and really loud bird calls.
From "Wonder" by R. J. Palacio
The system uses a chirped laser pulse made up of multiple wavelengths that arrive at slightly different times.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 21, 2026
That was the message from the official Southampton X account to a disgruntled Arsenal fan who had chirped back at the Saints' post celebrating their shock FA Cup victory.
From BBC ● Apr. 4, 2026
“Protect our ducks and kittens in Ohio!” chirped the official account of Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee.
From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2024
Before the crash, Dave chirped his siren as he approached intersections but did not have his sirens on continuously.
From Seattle Times ● May 15, 2024
Some chirped through their teeth to show disdain or disgust.
From "Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina" by Michaela DePrince
Tips for those feeling addicted to a beeping, chirping device.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
But the images also bring back “the chirping and the beeping,” the panic and urgency, and the toe-prick tests that made Jackson bruise and “squeal” with pain.
From Slate ● Jul. 19, 2026
Farah expects astronomers to discover many more "chirping" supernovae once the Vera C. Rubin Observatory begins its unprecedented survey of the night sky.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026
"It did take her quite a few months to start realising, 'no, this actually is safe'," but now she has "full-blown zoomies outside, tail up, chirping, running around on her lead," Alana said.
From BBC ● Apr. 5, 2026
I gesture at the trees around us, where, sure enough, several birds are chirping.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
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.
