chirp

1 of 2

verb

chirped; chirping; chirps
1
intransitive : to make a chirp or a sound resembling a chirp
chirping birds
… he had listened many times to the sound of grasshoppers chirping in the grass, and he had always liked the noise that they made.Roald Dahl
… Jesse Levine was luxuriating at home in Boca Raton last month when his cellphone chirped.L. Jon Wertheim
2
transitive : to utter (something) with a cheerful liveliness
She sang three songs … and chirped "Goodbye everybody! See you tomorrow!"Garrison Keillor
3
intransitive informal : to make sharply critical, complaining, or taunting remarks
Emotions boiled over for Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and cornerback Josh Norman after the two chirped at each other consistently for two weeks.Ben Volin
After the fight, which McLeod more or less won, the two chirped at each other in the penalty box …USA Today
… some of his teammates chirped about the officiating …Jack McCallum

chirp

2 of 2

noun

: the characteristic short sharp sound especially of a small bird or insect

Examples of chirp in a Sentence

Verb The birds were chirping in the trees. We heard the crickets chirping.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The group moved quickly down the grassy trail, letting their eyes adjust as the crickets chirped. Julia Lyon, Washington Post, 22 June 2024 Bird song identification Last week’s column about a chirping bird prompted a lot of response from folks recommending a free app from Cornell Lab called Merlin. Joan Morris, The Mercury News, 17 June 2024
Noun
Janet Planet, Baker’s filmmaking debut, is also filled with still moments—but rather than playing to total quiet, its dialogue-free sequences are suffused with little buzzes, chirps, and other ambient noises. David Sims, The Atlantic, 19 June 2024 Our yips, clicks, chirps, screeches and hoots were seemingly endless. T. Nelson Thompson, Baltimore Sun, 14 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for chirp 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chirp.' 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

imitative

First Known Use

Verb

1566, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1586, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chirp was in 1566

Dictionary Entries Near chirp

Cite this Entry

“Chirp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chirp. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

chirp

verb
ˈchərp
: to make a short sharp sound like a small bird or cricket
chirp noun

More from Merriam-Webster on chirp

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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