cluck

play

verb \ ˈklək \

Definition of cluck

intransitive verb

1 :to make a cluck

2 :to make a clicking sound with the tongue

3 :to express interest or concern

critics clucked over the new developments

transitive verb

1 :to call with a cluck

2 :to express with interest or concern

See cluck defined for English-language learners

Examples of cluck in a Sentence

The hen clucked at her chicks.
The driver clucked at the horses to get them moving.
Commentators have been clucking over his lack of experience.

Recent Examples of cluck from the Web

Geese honk in their pens and chickens cluck out of sight.

— andrew cotto, New York Times, "An Old Fish Farm, but With Gourmet Takeout," 23 Aug. 2017
Papas smiles and clucks her tongue at the crazy sight.

— lynn ischay, cleveland.com, "Happy Campers from St. Augustine assisted living find the woods are good medicine (photos)," 20 Aug. 2017
Topeka clucked about moving the school there among the chickens, but by 1920, Rosedale stepped up, bidding a truck farm and wine garden at 39th Street and Rainbow Boulevard.

— darryl levings, kansascity.com, "How KU Med came to KCK (and not Topeka)," 9 June 2017
Remember, judging is rude, too, so anyone who clucked at your choice as a faux pas was committing a faux pas.

— carolyn hax, Philly.com, "By all means make amends for "ghosting" a friend," 8 June 2017
If that happens the rest of the world will cluck-cluck about TV ratings, but Nashville will devote the appropriate amount of concern to that issue, which is zero.

— mark whicker, Orange County Register, "Whicker: Road sweet road – Ducks hope veterans will respond," 21 May 2017
While older generations mostly tolerate the russ, the month-long tradition and its expense can cause tongues to cluck in unflashy, egalitarian Norway.

— Washington Post, "Norway teens say their graduation blowouts beat them all," 12 May 2017
So Kaepernick shows up at a few community events–paid out of his own pocket, FYI, and that gets Jed or whoever clucking to King that this proves Kaepernick might lack the necessary NFL commitment.

— tim kawakami, The Mercury News, "Kawakami: Who’s putting out disinformation about Colin Kaepernick and why?," 11 May 2017
With a mouth call, a solo hunter can have two hands on the shotgun and still cluck like a hen turkey to call a male into shooting range.

— dave orrick, Twin Cities, "Wild turkey hunting: 5 reasons why having a partner is awesome," 28 Apr. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of cluck

imitative

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

cluck

noun

Definition of cluck

1 :the characteristic sound made by a hen especially in calling her chicks

2 :a stupid or naive person

a dumb cluck

See cluck defined for English-language learners

See cluck defined for kids

Examples of cluck in a Sentence

Don't be such a dumb cluck.
stuck with a bunch of clucks on an extended bus tour

Recent Examples of cluck from the Web

In this wordless piece of form-bending theater, an ensemble of eight makes their pleasures and displeasures known with aggressive clucks and herky-jerky movement.

— dusty somers, The Seattle Times, "Review: ‘Into the Deeps’ runs silent as it explores careless treatment of the environment," 12 June 2017

First Known Use of cluck

1703

cluck Synonyms

Synonyms

airhead, birdbrain, blockhead, bonehead, bubblehead, chowderhead, chucklehead, clodpoll (or clodpole), clot [British], idiot, clunk, cretin, cuddy (or cuddie) [British dialect], deadhead, dim bulb [slang], dimwit, dip, dodo, dolt, donkey, doofus [slang], dope, dork [slang], dullard, dumbbell, dumbhead, dum-dum, dummkopf, dummy, dunce, dunderhead, fathead, gander, golem, goof, goon, half-wit, hammerhead, hardhead, ignoramus, imbecile, jackass, know-nothing, knucklehead, lamebrain, loggerhead [chiefly dialect], loon, lump, lunkhead, meathead, mome [archaic], moron, mug [chiefly British], mutt, natural, nimrod [slang], nincompoop, ninny, ninnyhammer, nit [chiefly British], nitwit, noddy, noodle, numskull (or numbskull), oaf, pinhead, prat [British], ratbag [chiefly Australian], saphead, schlub (also shlub) [slang], schnook [slang], simpleton, stock, stupe, stupid, thickhead, turkey, woodenhead, yahoo, yo-yo

Antonyms

brain, genius

Related Words

booby, buffoon, fool, goose, loony, lunatic, madman, nut, zany; loser; gawk; featherbrain, scatterbrain; beast, boor, cad, churl, clown, creep, cur, heel, jerk, skunk, snake, stinker, villain; bimbette [slang], bimbo [slang], himbo

Near Antonyms

egghead, intellect, intellectual, sage, thinker, whiz, wizard; polymath, Renaissance man; sharpie (or sharpy)

CLUCK Defined for English Language Learners

cluck

play

verb

Definition of cluck for English Language Learners

of a chicken : to make a low sound
: to make a low sound with the tongue
: to talk about something in an excited and often disapproving way

cluck

noun

Definition of cluck for English Language Learners

: a short, low sound that is made by a chicken
: a short, low sound that is used to show disapproval or sympathy
: a stupid or foolish person

CLUCK Defined for Kids

cluck

play

verb \ ˈklək \

Definition of cluck for Students

clucked; clucking

:to make the low sound of or like a hen

cluck

noun

Definition of cluck for Students

:the sound made by a hen

Learn More about cluck

See words that rhyme with cluck Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for cluck Spanish Central: Translation of cluck Nglish: Translation of cluck for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of cluck for Arabic speakers

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