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
-
chewing
present participle
-
to perform the act of crushing or grinding with the teeth.
-
Informal. to chew tobacco.
-
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:
Jumpei Sakai, who imports it, unintentionally spoke in haiku when asked about Wagyu: “It has a tender / texture, so you don’t really / need to chew the meat.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 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
The noodles are springy and dense, meaning they hold their shape nicely when soaked in broth and have a nice chew.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
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
I chew every bite ten times before I swallow.
From "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson
Huge front teeth bite down on the cane, and the creature chews.
From Slate ● May 27, 2026
The Crucible and all that it entails chews up players, scars them.
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 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
Miss Celia chews some more on her pink pinky-nail.
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
He is not alone in having then been chewed up and spat out at Real Madrid.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
But before it was vanquished, the blaze chewed through about a third of the island, one of five that comprise Channel Islands National Park.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
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
Anya slid into the chair beside Babulya and chewed thoughtfully on her bread.
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
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
The fossil includes unusually large canine and premolar teeth, molars with rounded and strongly textured chewing surfaces, and a particularly sturdy jaw.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 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
“Those balls of tapioca are like chewing snot.”
From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence
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.
