Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

chirp

American  
[churp] / tʃɜrp /

verb (used without object)

  1. to make a characteristic short, sharp sound, as small birds and certain insects.

  2. to make any similar sound.

    The children chirped with amusement.

verb (used with object)

  1. to sound or utter in a chirping manner.

    The little girl chirped her joy.

noun

  1. a chirping sound.

chirp 1 British  
/ tʃɜːp /

verb

  1. (esp of some birds and insects) to make a short high-pitched sound

  2. to speak in a lively fashion

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a chirping sound, esp that made by a bird

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
CHIRP 2 British  
/ tʃɜːp /

acronym

  1. Confidential Human Incidents Reporting Programme: a system, run by the RAF Institute of Medicine, by which commercial pilots can comment on safety trends without the knowledge of their employers

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • chirper noun
  • chirpingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of chirp

1400–50; late Middle English chyrpynge (gerund); expressive word akin to cheep, chirk, etc.

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.

The result is the accelerating pulses of light detected from Earth, producing the distinctive "chirp."

From Science Daily • Mar. 11, 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

My phone begins to chirp away, and I look over, expecting it to be Will, but I see a message from my mom.

From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott

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.