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:
The rising sun bathes the rolling Herefordshire hillsides in a warm glow as birds gently chirp and sheep graze in the fields.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Farah compared the pattern to the rising pitch of a bird's chirp.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026
With that said, take a deep breath, and imagine being surrounded by the fresh scent of pine as mountain chickadees chirp all around you.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 29, 2025
I could hardly take another disappointment delivered with a cheerful chirp to my inbox.
From Slate ● Jan. 2, 2025
Horace tiptoed into the middle of the room and sing-songed, “Heeeeere, pigeon, pigeon, pigeon ...” Then, from behind us, we heard a wingbeat and a strangled chirp.
From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs
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
“This is Meredith,” a voice chirps, before Bezucha cuts from black to a shot of the back of a woman’s head, focusing on her hair that’s been tightly wound into a severe bun.
From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2025
When they finally barge back into the main plot, Ash chirps, “Find something you love and go after it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2025
While some find the buzzes, chirps and trills soothing or exciting, for others, the bugs are annoying or irritating.
From New York Times ● May 17, 2024
Surrounded by nature—a gurgling stream, the caws, chirps of birds, a forest quiet humming underneath all the other sounds.
From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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
"Come back in a couple of weeks, and we'll talk then," the woman at the animal rescue chirped.
From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2024
Bellemare also kept in close contact with former teammate Andre Burakovsky, who chirped him “as hard as he could” as soon as he signed.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 22, 2023
“The chocolate bits were delectable,” Lady Constance chirped.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
There was the chirping of cicadas and the crunch of desiccated pine needles underfoot, but the most remarkable thing about the place was the quiet.
From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026
"It was such a phenomenal experience to see the Sun start going dark and hear, suddenly, the birds stop chirping," recalls Samantha.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
Farah believes astronomers will soon detect many more of these "chirping" supernovae.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 11, 2026
Sit at one of the tables, and don’t be surprised to hear the sounds of birds chirping from the man-made trees.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2026
The weather turns warm, the chirping of the birds grows louder, and the lapping water is music to my ears.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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.
