chant

1 of 2

verb

ˈchant How to pronounce chant (audio)
chanted; chanting; chants
Synonyms of chantnext

intransitive verb

1
: to make melodic sounds with the voice
especially : to sing a chant
2
: to recite something in a monotonous repetitive tone
protesters were chanting outside

transitive verb

1
: to utter as in chanting
2
: to celebrate or praise in song or chant

chant

2 of 2

noun

1
: song sense 1
2
a
: plainsong
b
: a rhythmic monotonous utterance or song
c
: a composition for chanting

Synonyms

Verb

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of chant in a Sentence

Verb The crowd began chanting her name. They chanted “Sara, Sara” until she came back on stage. Protesters were chanting outside the governor's home. They were chanting in Arabic. Priests chanted the Catholic Mass in Latin. Noun Our chant was “Peace now, peace now!”. Chant is often used as a form of meditation and prayer.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
For some, the phrase is a rallying cry for Palestinian equal rights, autonomy and freedom often chanted at protests around the world calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. —Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 8 July 2024 Argentina fans chanted with joy as their team came away with the win. —Jackson Castellano, Sun Sentinel, 30 June 2024
Noun
The man accused of leading the chant turned himself in to NYPD on June 26, and was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on a charge of misdemeanor attempted coercion on Monday, court records show. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 7 July 2024 The choreographed drum beats and chants that started hours before the game. —Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for chant 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English chaunten, from Anglo-French chanter, from Latin cantare, frequentative of canere to sing; akin to Old English hana rooster, Old Irish canid he sings

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of chant was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing chant

Dictionary Entries Near chant

chanst

chant

chantable

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Chant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chant. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.

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Kids Definition

chant

1 of 2 verb
ˈchant How to pronounce chant (audio)
1
: to sing especially in the way a chant is sung
2
: to recite or speak with no change in tone
chanter noun

chant

2 of 2 noun
1
: a melody in which several words or syllables are sung in one tone
2
: something spoken in the style of a chant
Etymology

Verb

Middle English chaunten "to chant," from early French chanter (same meaning), derived from Latin canere "to sing" — related to cant entry 3, cantata, chantey, charm

More from Merriam-Webster on chant

Nglish: Translation of chant for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of chant for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chant

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