chant

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verb \ ˈchant \

Definition of chant

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

See chant defined for English-language learners

See chant defined for kids

Examples of chant in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of chant from the Web

Sell-out crowds of 80,000 were chanting my name at old Municipal Stadium, at a time when Cleveland didn't have much to cheer about.

— dan labbe, cleveland.com, "Joe Thomas ranked No. 16 on ESPN's top 100 NFL players list," 28 Aug. 2017
On Thursday, demonstrators in Ramallah burned an Israeli flag and chanted anti-Trump slogans.

— jonathan ferziger, Bloomberg.com, "Kushner Tours Mideast as Palestinian Patience Wears Thin," 24 Aug. 2017
Each class chanted its graduation year spontaneously and regularly throughout the night.

— high school columnist, NOLA.com, "Slidell High School's Back to School dance goes luau for fun," 21 Aug. 2017
Find some phrases that feel authentic to you and chant them till the cows come home! 7.

— louise green, SELF, "7 Strategies for Conquering Gym Anxiety at Any Size," 1 Aug. 2017
Having that many people chant your name will get just about anyone frustrated.

— brandon folsom, Detroit Free Press, "Four who help make the Detroit City FC atmosphere at Keyworth Stadium," 21 July 2017
According to the urban myth, his malevolent spirit could be summoned by anyone who chants his name in a mirror five times.

— laura bradley, HWD, "American Horror Story: Could Lana Winters Be Coming Back?," 18 July 2017
Charles Murray, the libertarian-conservative political scientist who co-wrote The Bell Curve, was compelled to cut a speech short at Middlebury College when protesters chanted and shouted loudly enough to drown out his words.

— sapna rampersaud, National Review, "North Carolina’s Legislature Seeks to Protect Free Speech on Campus," 11 July 2017
Yet, there was Justin Bour wiping his sweat with fans chanting his name.

— ethan bauer, miamiherald, "It’s one-and-done for both Marlins sluggers," 10 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of chant

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

chant Synonyms

Synonyms

intonate, intone, sing

Related Words

bellow, belt, roar; chime, chorus

chant

noun

Definition of chant

1 :song 1

2 a :plainsong

b :a rhythmic monotonous utterance or song

c :a composition for chanting

See chant defined for English-language learners

Examples of chant in a Sentence

Our chant was “Peace now, peace now!”.
Chant is often used as a form of meditation and prayer.

Recent Examples of chant from the Web

In Phoenix, activists expressed their frustration with Trump and Arpaio with signs, chants, and solidarity.

— christopher silavong, Teen Vogue, "10 Young People on Why They Protested Trump's Phoenix Rally," 23 Aug. 2017
Activist Ed Hanson leads a crowd of supporters in chants prior to the start of a rally in Elgin on Aug. 18, 2017.

— rafael guerrero, Elgin Courier-News, "After Charlottesville, demonstrators say hateful rhetoric not welcome in Elgin," 19 Aug. 2017
Given recent events in Virginia, one expects that chant will be reprised at upcoming Green Day shows.

— john adamian, courant.com, "Green Day At Xfinity," 16 Aug. 2017
Totality's eerie light bathes the ring of massive monoliths while robed figures chant and burn their sacrificial offerings.

— tyler nordgren, Discover Magazine, "Eclipse 2017: Darkness Is Coming," 7 Aug. 2017
There's even a chant for the Coke Zero Sugar resistance.

— alexa tucker, SELF, "Coke Zero Is Being Replaced by Coke Zero Sugar and People Are Outraged," 31 July 2017
Most recently, a group of Democrats invoked the chant in May to taunt Republicans after the House of Representatives passed a health care bill opposed by Democrats.

— kansascity, "Final Chapters: Michael Bond, Michael Nyqvist, Geri Allen, Anthony Young," 1 July 2017
White T-shirts rained into the crowd on the east plaza of AmericanAirlines Arena as chants, claps and cheers thundered once again.

— ethan bauer, miamiherald, "Heat fans feeling positive about Adebayo pick," 22 June 2017
In several games fans have shouted (monkey chants) to me but still nothing has happened.

— rob harris, The Seattle Times, "Germany’s Ruediger decries soccer’s response to racism," 17 June 2017

First Known Use of chant

1671

Other Music Terms

cacophony, chorister, concerto, counterpoint, madrigal, obbligato, presto, refrain, riff, segue

CHANT Defined for English Language Learners

chant

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verb

Definition of chant for English Language Learners

: to say (a word or phrase) many times in a rhythmic way usually loudly and with other people
: to sing words and especially religious prayers by using a small number of musical notes that are repeated many times

chant

noun

Definition of chant for English Language Learners

: a word or phrase that is repeated in a rhythmic way usually loudly and by a group of people
: a kind of singing using a small number of musical notes that are repeated many times

CHANT Defined for Kids

chant

play

verb \ ˈchant \

Definition of chant for Students

chanted; chanting

1 :to sing using a small number of musical tones

2 :to recite or speak in a rhythmic usually loud way

The crowd began chanting her name.

chant

noun

Definition of chant for Students

1 :a melody in which several words or syllables are sung on one tone

2 :something spoken in a rhythmic usually loud way

Learn More about chant

See words that rhyme with chant Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for chant Spanish Central: Translation of 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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Definition of chant

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Examples of chant in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of chant

chant Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

chant

Definition of chant

Examples of chant in a Sentence

Recent Examples of chant from the Web

First Known Use of chant

Other Music Terms

CHANT Defined for English Language Learners

chant

Definition of chant for English Language Learners

chant

Definition of chant for English Language Learners

CHANT Defined for Kids

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Definition of chant for Students

chant

Definition of chant for Students

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