gobble

1 of 2

verb (1)

gob·​ble ˈgä-bəl 

gobbled; gobbling ˈgä-b(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to swallow or eat greedily

2

: to take eagerly : grab

—usually used with up

3

: to read rapidly or greedily

—usually used with up

gobble

2 of 2

verb (2)

gobbled; gobbling ˈgä-b(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to make the natural guttural noise of a male turkey

2

: to make a sound resembling the gobble of a turkey

gobble noun

Synonyms of gobble

Verb (1)

• devour
• inhale
• gulp

Examples of gobble in a Sentence

Verb (1)

gobbled the sandwiches like they hadn't eaten for days

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Anderson plays the deceased family matriarch who lost her life after a pack of wolves savagely gobbled her up, leaving nearly nothing behind to be buried. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 24 July 2026

Young orcas then gobbled up fish fragments that drifted through the water as their elders tore into what was left of the sunfish’s corpse. — Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 23 July 2026

The remaining mainstream buyers, who are far more price-sensitive and less willing to tolerate the inconveniences of electric vehicles, aren’t gobbling up the technology. — Michael Harley, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Kelly was the reticent one in the couple, happy to let his wife gobble up the silences. — Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

probably irregular from gob entry 1

Verb (2)

imitative

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1680, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for gobble

• bauble
• cobble
• hobble
• labile
• squabble
• wobble
• cantabile

Kids Definition

gobble

1 of 2 verb

gob·​ble ˈgäb-əl 

gobbled; gobbling -(ə-)liŋ 

1

: to swallow or eat greedily

2

: to take eagerly : grab

the small country was gobbled up by its neighbor

gobble

2 of 2 verb

: to make the sound of a male turkey

gobble noun