chirp

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verb

ˈchərp 

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

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noun

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

Synonyms

Verb

• cheep
• chirrup
• chitter
• jargon
• peep
• pip
• pipe
• tweet
• twitter

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 level of excitement that the arrival of a box of chirping baby chicks creates within a family is simply astounding and hard to match. —Sal Gilbertie, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025

With flowers blooming and birds chirping, war feels distant, although the closest front line is a short drive away. —Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Apr. 2025

Noun

From its facial expressions to its distinctive chirp, the creature is wreathed in a kind of nostalgia that Eighties kids will remember from those early days trolling the VHS rack at their local Blockbuster. —Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 26 Apr. 2025

Obviously, Marchand wasn’t going to let Rodrigues’ chirp go unanswered. —Tim Reynolds, Sun Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2025

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

Rhymes for chirp

• burp
• usurp

Kids Definition

chirp

verb

ˈchərp

: to make a short sharp sound like a small bird or cricket

chirp noun