First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English monchen, variant of mocchen; of imitative origin
To munch is to eat something in a loud and enthusiastic way. If you can't stand listening to your brother munch his toast in the morning, you might decide to take your breakfast to go. When you eat something steadily, especially if it's something crunchy, you munch. You might munch on carrot sticks for a snack and then munch a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. You can also take a munch, or a bite, out of something. Munch is an imitative word, its sound echoing the actual sound of munching, but it may also have a connection to the Old French mangier, "to bite or chew."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On the walls, another nod to the idea of thinking: reproductions of works by Edvard Munch, the deeply intellectual painter.
From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026
The Mega Munch takeaway in Nottingham has a special place in English cricketing history.
From BBC • Dec. 25, 2025
Major names like Edvard Munch are included alongside lesser-known figures such as Emilie Mediz-Pelikan, Léon Spilliaert and Gustav Adolf Mossa.
From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 28, 2025
Munch, a friendly, purple-ish hairball of a creature, was once the anchor of Chuck E. Cheese’s Make Believe Band.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 28, 2025
Mr. Munch reached into the locker and pulled out the head of a broom—the sweeping part—which he'd detached from the broomstick.
From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds
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.
