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:
Farah compared the pattern to the rising pitch of a bird's chirp.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026
Even the normally loquacious Healy - niece of former Australia men's wicketkeeper Ian - lacked her usual chirp behind the stumps.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2025
I could hardly take another disappointment delivered with a cheerful chirp to my inbox.
From Slate ● Jan. 2, 2025
Verse said he will chirp at opponents about “anything” other than personal relationships and family.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2024
Everything was silent except for the chirp of the crickets and the full foamy toss of the wind in the trees.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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
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
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
Matthias spun on his heel and marched off, the enemy sparrow’s chirps still ringing in his ears: “No wanta food, no needa ‘tenshun.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Birds chirped as he sat on the porch of a house near the front line, still in his Russian uniform.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 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
Julie Hendricks-Atkins' colleagues chirped from their cubicles in Lower Manhattan.
From BBC ● Apr. 5, 2024
Birds chirped on the soundtrack as I changed into a robe and reclined on the bed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 21, 2024
So Charlotte sang a lullaby, while crickets chirped in the grass and the barn grew dark.
From "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White
In another post, the user wrote that “the Rams coaches started banging on the windows for about 30 seconds after the touchdown which then resulted in the Eagles’ fans turning around and chirping back.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 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
So the crickets are actually chirping loudly, if you listen to them.
From Slate ● Apr. 20, 2026
Farah believes astronomers will soon detect many more of these "chirping" supernovae.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 11, 2026
She turned the bright pink-and-blue bird over in her hand, and it came to life suddenly, shaking its feathers and chirping a beautiful song.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
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