chomp
Americanverb (used with or without object)
-
chomps,
present (3rd person singular)
-
chomped,
past participle, past
-
chomping
present participle
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
chompsimple
-
chompssimple
-
have chompedperfect
-
has chompedperfect
-
am chompingprogressive
-
are chompingprogressive
-
is chompingprogressive
-
have been chompingperfect progressive
-
has been chompingperfect progressive
Past
-
chompedsimple
-
had chompedperfect
-
was chompingprogressive
-
were chompingprogressive
-
had been chompingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of chomp
variant of champ 1
Explanation
To chomp is to bite something in a greedy, noisy way. If you've got five minutes to eat breakfast, you might quickly chomp your bagel as you walk to catch the bus. People who chomp their food are either extremely hungry or somewhat ill-mannered: watching someone chomp a hamburger and fries can make you lose your appetite. You can also use chomp as a noun, to mean "a great big bite," as when your brother grabs your slice of pizza and takes a chomp. The word has been used in American English since the mid-1600s, from the earlier verb champ.
Vocabulary lists containing chomp
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:
Australia's oceans are teeming with sharks, with great whites topping the list of species that might fatally chomp a human.
From Barron's ● Nov. 26, 2025
A single breeding pair of sunflower stars can potentially produce thousands of offspring — many mouths to chomp down on urchins.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 2025
What does the bubble gum they chomp during “Too Pooped to Pop” give them?
From New York Times ● Feb. 12, 2024
Each year, fans pick their favourite of 12 plump brown bears from Alaska's Katmai National Park that have gathered along the Brooks River to chomp on salmon and pack on as many pounds before winter.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2023
“Grace,” he grumbled, and picked up his meat by the bone and took a big chomp, then chewed, mostly with his mouth open.
From "Clayton Byrd Goes Underground" by Rita Williams-Garcia
Tampopo grows its arugula under insect netting to fight the Northwest flea beetle that otherwise chomps on the leaves.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 23, 2024
“Shut up!” the queen barks at Kate, and proceeds to grill her while a menacing, Cockney-bruiser Philip chomps on a toothpick and plays with the future princess’s hair.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 20, 2022
They enthusiastically offered their endorsement in between chomps of donut holes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2020
The Wolf Pack didn’t just nibble away at Cincinnati’s lead; they took loud, impolite chomps that could wake Emily Post from the grave.
From Slate ● Mar. 18, 2018
A lone raptor stood in the shadowy stable area, devouring some small pest with messy chomps and snorfs.
From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older
At one point father and baby ate grass together, the big grass fronds flickering around their heads as they chomped.
From Slate ● May 27, 2026
By April, Alligator had chomped into the US Top 10, and the UK Top 40.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2025
The most teeth-grinding great team in baseball chomped through a legacy of frustration on the sort of October night that, while once forgettable, now will live forever.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2024
As the herd chomped through their rations, another military truck carrying visitors “ooh’d” and “ahh’d” while they circled the animals.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 30, 2024
Wish I hadn’t chomped down that last sandwich.
From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick
While the biopic and buzz around Garner’s portrayal of the “Like a Virgin” star had fans of the two blondes chomping at the bit, all is not lost: Art captures life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
Tom Curtis has gone viral by recording a video of himself chomping on a Whopper and even posting his phone number online.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 9, 2026
The chaotic recording sessions featured a bucket of fire and musicians chomping vegetables.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2025
There is, of course, some suspicious, terrifying revelation promised that will surely result in lots of screaming and chomping.
From Salon ● Jan. 3, 2025
And it is the lovely Penelope, and she’s chomping hard on cinnamon gum.
From "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie
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.
