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Synonyms

chunk

1 American  
[chuhngk] / tʃʌŋk /

noun

  1. a thick mass or lump of anything.

    a chunk of bread;

    a chunk of firewood.
    Synonyms:
    gob, wad, piece, hunk

  2. Informal. a thick-set and strong person.

  3. a strong and stoutly built horse or other animal.

  4. a substantial amount of something.

    Rent is a real chunk out of my pay.

verb (used with object)

  1. to cut, break, or form into chunks.

    Chunk that wedge of cheese and put the pieces on a plate.

  2. to remove a chunk or chunks from (often followed byout ).

    Storms have chunked out the road.

verb (used without object)

  1. to form, give off, or disintegrate into chunks.

    My tires have started to chunk.

idioms

  1. blow chunks, to vomit.

chunk 2 American  
[chuhngk] / tʃʌŋk /

verb (used with object)

South Midland and Southern U.S.

  1. to toss or throw; chuck.

    chunking pebbles at the barn door.

  2. to make or rekindle (a fire) by adding wood, coal, etc., or by stoking (sometimes followed byup ).

chunk British  
/ tʃʌŋk /

noun

  1. a thick solid piece, as of meat, wood, etc

  2. a considerable amount

"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

Etymology

Origin of chunk1

First recorded in 1685–95; nasalized variant of chuck 2

Origin of chunk2

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; perhaps nasalized variant of chuck 1

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.

A significant chunk of recent growth has been driven by healthcare spending from an aging population, a trend he described as a double-edged sword.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

It said the settlement would have amounted to a large chunk of its foreign currency reserves.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

A disproportionate chunk of stocks’ gains are front loaded.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

That is a 25% chunk of U.S. options exposure that has been creating mechanical sell orders and was due to roll off markets by March 20.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 24, 2026

I pulled a chunk of pork out of the icebox.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

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.