munch
verb (used with object)
to chew with steady or vigorous working of the jaws, often audibly.
munch
1 American
[muhnch]
/ mʌntʃ /
verb (used with object)
-
munches,
present (3rd person singular)
-
munched,
past participle, past
-
munching
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
munches,
present (3rd person singular)
-
munched,
past participle, past
-
munching
present participle
noun
verb phrase
Munch
2
American
[moongk]
/ mʊŋk /
noun
Münch
3
American
[my nsh]
/ münʃ /
noun
Munch
1
British
/ mʊŋk /
noun
munch
2
British
/ mʌntʃ /
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
munchsimple
-
munchessimple
-
have munchedperfect
-
has munchedperfect
-
am munchingprogressive
-
are munchingprogressive
-
is munchingprogressive
-
have been munchingperfect progressive
-
has been munchingperfect progressive
Past
-
munchedsimple
-
had munchedperfect
-
was munchingprogressive
-
were munchingprogressive
-
had been munchingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of munch
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English monchen, variant of mocchen; of imitative origin
Explanation
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."
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:
Part of the scarab family, the beetle has an apt name: they munch on soft-skinned fruits such as figs and grapes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
The creatures faced a prophetic choice: munch on the grass on the side marked with a Mexican flag, or opt for the greenery on the opposing South African side.
From Barron's ● Jun. 6, 2026
She can munch on pizza made out of molten lava, or apply snowflakes and cotton candy as lip gloss.
From BBC ● Dec. 26, 2025
Ringo follows with, “Meanwhile, high in the Swiss Alps, two elderly Scotchmen munch on a rare cheese.”
From Salon ● Dec. 23, 2025
I bet she’d like a box of cereal to munch on, too: comfort food for the ride.
From "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson
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
Ten years later, a different version of the painting was stolen in an armed robbery, along with the artist’s “Madonna,” from the Munch Museum across town.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026
The Mega Munch takeaway in Nottingham has a special place in English cricketing history.
From BBC ● Dec. 25, 2025
Aside from the aforementioned selection of vintage games, there’s also a Mr. Munch figurine, who is displayed in a clear case and does not turn on.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2025
It's been a year since Mr. Munch gave Canton the broom dog.
From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds
Past investigations would need to be revisited, Münch said.
From BBC ● Dec. 22, 2024
"Increasing the local concentration and isolating viruses from samples are critical to increasing the sensitivity of diagnosing viral infections," says Professor Münch.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 28, 2024
The nanofibrils used -- small, needle-like structures -- are based on the EF-C peptide, which was first described in 2013 by Professor Jan Münch from Ulm University and Ulm University Medical Center.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 28, 2024
“We must recognize better where they do this, how they do this,” Mr. Münch told RBB Inforadio.
From New York Times ● Jan. 14, 2016
One of the best national tragedies was written by Münch Bellinghausen.
From Handbook of Universal Literature From the Best and Latest Authorities by Anne C. Lynch Botta
Mr Sunak keeps going on tea, with the bag left in to make it industrial strength, and munches on cake - lemon drizzle the favourite.
From BBC ● May 25, 2024
She concluded that ZIP7 must be acting somewhere before the proteasome munches up the misfolded protein.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 30, 2024
Talking to Wall now as he munches away at his postgame meal, it’s clear the past few years have humbled him but not dimmed his ultrahigh self-confidence.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 9, 2022
In one adorable moment, he munches on a carrot tied around his neck.
From Salon ● Nov. 17, 2022
One of them flicks its ear casually as it munches on the grass.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
More than a decade later, my books still lean toward the seasonal standard: light fiction, breezy memoir, topical advice—the literary equivalent of potato chips munched lazily on the beach.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
People munched on cheese cubes and cheesecake bites or fanned themselves in the shade, watching on big screen televisions as the old guard said their goodbyes inside the council chambers.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
During her dream bridal shower, Williams and her friends munched on Asian food before partaking in a lip-synch battle.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 29, 2025
Tucked into schoolchildren’s lunches by the millions and munched by lawyers and professional athletes, Uncrustables generated approximately $920 million in sales in the company’s most recent fiscal year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2025
My mother gave me a dry sandwich and I munched and stared, longing to go home.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
South Africa’s Cheetah Plains now uses electric Land Cruisers for what it markets as its “silent game drives” through Sabi Sand Nature Reserve, trading engine noise for the rustle of elephants munching grass.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
While sipping on his coffee and munching on extra crispy bacon and blueberry pancakes Sunday morning, Baker sat at the Otesaga Resort where the Hall of Famers stay during induction weekend.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
On Wednesday morning, Sovereignty was standing upright in his stall munching on hay and showed no obvious discomfort.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2025
Film buffs sit snugly in cars watching a drive-in movie, munching popcorn on a lovely recent fall night.
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2025
I spent hours talking with them in a big circle, munching popcorn and trading our thoughts about college applications, body image, and boys.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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