Definition of chew - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
eating processtr./intr. bite and grind with the teethtr./intr.
- She likes to chew her food thoroughly before swallowing..
2.
pondertr. think over something repeatedlytr.
- He chewed over the problem for hours..
3.
behaviortr. bite repeatedly due to nervousnesstr.
- She chews her nails when anxious.
Noun
1.
actionact of chewing with the mouth
- The chew of the steak was satisfying.
2.
sweetUK small sweet eaten by chewingUK
- She offered me a fruit chew.
3.
texturelevel of chewiness in food
- The candy had a pleasant chew.
4.
tobaccoUS chewing tobacco productUS
- He packed a chew in his lip.
Images of chew

small sweet eaten by chewing
Expressions with chew
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
chew something until it becomes pulpy or tangled
The dog chewed up the newspaper.
bite and grind with teeth
She likes to chew on her pen when thinking.
scold someone angrily for their actions
The coach chewed out the team for their poor performance.
discuss something thoroughly
The committee will chew over the new policy tomorrow..
think carefully about something
I need some time to chew on it before making a decision..
bite nails with teeth, often from anxiety or nervousness
She chews on her nails whenever deadlines start to pile up.
talk to someone for a long time
She chewed her friend's ear about her new job for hours.
engage in casual conversation without specific purpose
We sat on the porch to chew the fat.
deal with someone harshly and abruptly
The manager chewed up and spit out the new employee after one mistake.
idea or fact to think about
The professor gave us something to chew on before the next class.
extremely angry to the point of absurdity
He was angry enough to chew nails after the meeting.
act in an exaggerated or melodramatic manner
The actor chewed up the scenery in every scene.
think deeply about something
She sat quietly, chewing the cud on her future plans..
perform with exaggerated emotions
She tends to chew the scenery in every play she's in.
remove something by biting repeatedly
He tried to chew off the plastic tag from the new shirt.
bite and grind tobacco with teeth
He likes to chew the tobacco while watching the game.
toy for animals to chew, often prevents destructive chewing
The dog played with its chew toy all afternoon.
bite your fingernails with your teeth
She tends to chew your nails when she's nervous.
edible treat for dogs
She gave her puppy a dog chew as a reward.
extremely angry and furious
He was angry enough to chew iron after the meeting.
talk in a relaxed way
We sat on the porch to chew the rag after dinner.
furiously angry to a very high degree
He was mad enough to chew nails after the argument.
analyze information and then quickly discard it
He tends to chew and spew data without deep understanding.
I won't repeat myself
I've already told you, I don't chew my cabbage twice.
Origin of chew
Old English, ceowan (to chew)
Terms with chew included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
consume food
put food in mouth, chew, and swallow
habits
chew on one's fingernails
food
soft and easy to chew
nervousness
chew on one's fingernails due to stress or habit
chewing
chew food with a loud, crunching sound
food
difficult to cut or chew
bad eating habits
eat a lot quickly or chew noisily and greedily
chewing
chew without teeth, often with difficulty
eating
bite or chew something with enthusiasm
food texture
tough and fibrous, difficult to chew
soft
easier to cut or chew
food
difficult to chew or eat
eating
bite or chew loudly or heavily
eating
bite or chew something noisily
animal
chew partially digested food again
chewing
chew gently with closed lips
chewing
chew something with teeth
habit
chew tobacco without swallowing
chewing
chew or masticate food
chewing
chew food by grinding with teeth
animal
related to animals that chew cud
baby pain relief
object for babies to chew on to ease teething pain
cooking
making meat softer and easier to chew
cooking
making meat softer and easier to chew
Examples of chew in a sentence
The dog loves to chew on his favorite toy. She chewed on the idea all night. He needs time to chew it over. He tends to chew his pen during exams. I often chew my lip when deep in thought. Give the gum one more chew before swallowing.
He took a slow chew of the crusty bread. He unwrapped a chew and popped it into his mouth. The candy shop had a variety of chews on display. The steak had a satisfying chew. This bread offers a good chew. He offered his friend a chew from his tin. The store sold his favorite brand of chew.
View all translations of chew
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:mâcher, mâche, ...
- German:kauen, das Kauen, ...
- Italian:masticare, masticazione, ...
- Spanish:morder, masticación, ...
- Portuguese:mastigar, mastigação, ...
- Chinese:嚼碎, 软糖, ...
- Japanese:噛む, 噛み心地, ...
- Arabic:مَضَغَ, مَضْغَة, ...
- Hebrew:לִלְעוֹס, לְעִיסָה, ...
- Russian:жевать, жевание, ...
- Ukrainian:пережовувати, жування, ...
- Hindi:चबाना, चर्वण, ...
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