chew
Americanverb (used with object)
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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)
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chews,
present (3rd person singular)
-
chewed,
past participle, past
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chewing
present participle
-
to perform the act of crushing or grinding with the teeth.
-
Informal. to chew tobacco.
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to meditate.
noun
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chews
plural
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an act or instance of chewing.
-
something chewed or intended for chewing.
a chew of tobacco; taffy chews.
verb phrase
idioms
verb
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to work the jaws and teeth in order to grind (food); masticate
-
to bite repeatedly
she chewed her nails anxiously
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(intr) to use chewing tobacco
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slang
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to argue over a point
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to talk idly; gossip
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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
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chewssimple
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have chewedperfect
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has chewedperfect
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am chewingprogressive
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are chewingprogressive
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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 note finishes by reiterating that bubble-like environments can chew through macro risk, “at least for some amount of time.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
Instead he says the priority is "changing people's lives" through restoring their ability to chew, and indeed – to smile.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
The courts will now chew over those arguments, and the Justices might, too.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
There’s so much to chew on in David Alvarado’s portrait of life, art and activism that “American Pachuco” plays like a joyful challenge to those searching for their own voice or meaning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
She chewed the way she would chew something that actually tasted good.
From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata
A normal peptide is a linear chain, and the gut chews it apart from the loose ends.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
Huge front teeth bite down on the cane, and the creature chews.
From Slate ● May 27, 2026
One woman is shouting instructions to her husband to get the shot right as the train starts coming - she chews as if she's finished a delicious meal.
From BBC ● May 12, 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
Miss Celia chews some more on her pink pinky-nail.
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
During the California test this January, EarthGrid's cigar-shaped boring machine chewed through three metres of granite.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
If they can eliminate in plain sight an institution as central to the survival of the republic as Mr. Pelley and his carefully chewed spectacles, surely no one is safe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
“He’s had good outings, he’s chewed up a lot of innings. But when you can get the swing-and-miss in the zone, that’s kind of a separator for any pitcher.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2026
Wasp nests typically have rough walls made from chewed plant material and saliva.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 3, 2026
He pulled at his snout and chewed his lips.
From "Abel's Island" by William Steig
Some studies also suggest that chewing can help with cognition.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
Beware of lilies, which are toxic to cats; even chewing the leaves or licking pollen off their fur while grooming can be fatal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
New offensive coordinator Sean Mannion has arrived from Green Bay to make the offense slightly more stirring than a capybara gently chewing on grass.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Sorbitol is commonly added to "low-calorie" candy and chewing gum, but it also occurs naturally in stone fruits.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026
The dining room contained Elvira Caruthers, a wayward daughter who cared more about gossip than chewing her food before swallowing and who had died before she could create her own branch of the family line.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
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.
