chant

verb \ ˈchant \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

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

Nurmagomedov was the clear fan favorite — fans dotted the arena wearing papakhas, a hat that that looks like a powdered wig native to his homeland in Dagestan — and chanted ‘‘Khabib!

— dan gelston, BostonGlobe.com, "Khabib Nurmagomedov comes out on top at UFC 223," 9 Apr. 2018
The ad, which debuted Saturday, features Wakandans preparing for some sort of battle, with the people of the fictional African nation chanting throughout.

— ray rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, "What Matters in Hollywood Today," 9 Apr. 2018
Rarely has Hartford Public’s gymnasium been so full on a Sunday, or a crowd so rollicking as the one that cheered, chanted and roared as robots scuttled around an arena lifted from a vintage Nintendo game.

— matthew ormseth, courant.com, "Bot Battle Royale: Robotics Teams Square Off At Hartford Public," 8 Apr. 2018
Inside the loud, stuffy ceremony room, people were laughing, crying, chanting, gyrating, and, yes, vomiting, around me.

— sean illing, Vox, "What the psychedelic drug ayahuasca showed me about my life.," 7 Apr. 2018
The spot, which debuted Saturday (April 7), features Wakandans preparing for some sort of battle, with the people of the fictional African nation chanting throughout.

— lauren huff, Billboard, "'Black Panther' Crew, Wakanda Front and Center in New 'Avengers: Infinity War' Trailer: Watch," 7 Apr. 2018
Later, protesters chanted outside City Hall before marching through downtown for more than four hours.

— Time, "Autopsy Disputing Police Account of Stephon Clark Shooting Prompts Anger," 30 Mar. 2018
And every oil and formula is meditated and chanted over to infuse it with beautiful vibes.

— emily sundberg, The Cut, "How Goop’s Beauty Editor Gets Her Skin So Good," 29 Mar. 2018
His techniques include chanting, meditation, Sufi dancing, staring into lights for extended periods of time, and powerful music, all of which induce altered states of mind.

— win mccormack, The New Republic, "Outside the Limits of the Human Imagination," 27 Mar. 2018

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

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First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

chant Synonyms

Synonyms

carol, descant, sing, vocalize;

serenade;

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

For some of the young Gaza men hanging around the camp, the chant wasn’t just rousing hyperbole.

— Washington Post, "Gaza protests driven by desperation, Hamas organization," 4 Apr. 2018
Now, Budweiser's 'Dilly Dilly' chant is in new sports territory: Soccer.

— nina mandell, USA TODAY, "'Dilly Dilly' reaches soccer, is never going away," 28 Mar. 2018
Parkland students chant in the background of the song which also includes soundbites from some of the more visible students such as Emma Gonzalez, David Hogg and Cameron Kasky, according to the release.

— johnny diaz, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Ian Erix to release song recorded with Parkland students," 28 Mar. 2018
Tenth-grader Angel Rodriguez led the chant, also telling those outside that things need to change.

— erik s. hanley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Cudahy students 'join the revolution for school safety' by participating in walkout," 14 Mar. 2018
After the first round of District 23-6A when Pearland was 2-4 and tied for last place, playoff chants weren't exactly the order of the day for head coach Steve Buckelew's team.

— ted dunnam, Houston Chronicle, "Boys' basketball: Oilers pop George Ranch, clinch playoff berth," 6 Feb. 2018
Safe to say a Super Bowl chant led by Jennifer Lawrence is better than any and every in-flight movie ever, even those starring Jennifer Lawrence.

— zoë weiner, Teen Vogue, "Jennifer Lawrence Led a Super Bowl Chant for the Philadelphia Eagles Over Her Flight’s Loudspeaker," 5 Feb. 2018
Hip-hop’s prevailing style is heavily improvisational, less about flow and narrative than about hypnotic chants and call-and-response choruses.

— gary shteyngart, The New Yorker, "Cardi B’s “Invasion of Privacy” Is as Studious as It Is Bombastic," 27 Sep. 2017
The fans were mimicking the Minnesota Vikings’ Skol chant.

— keith pompey, Philly.com, "Dario Saric leads Sixers to 118-101 win after Joel Embiid leaves with facial contusion," 28 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of chant

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 2a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Music Terms

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

CHANT Defined for English Language Learners

chant

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