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

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

Retiree pensions continue to inflict great pain on municipal finances, gobbling up more than 20% of general fund dollars in at least a half-dozen Orange County cities. —Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 18 July 2025

Fans of Wilson's previous novels will also gobble this one right up. —Lizz Schumer, People.com, 3 July 2025

That song became an instant hit on streaming, and fans have gobbled up every song she’s put out since. —Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

The number of countries tripled from 1945 to today, as states no longer feared that they would be gobbled up by more powerful neighbors. —Oona A. Hathaway, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025

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