gorge

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈgȯrj 

1

: a narrow passage through land

especially : a narrow steep-walled canyon or part of a canyon

2

: throat

—often used with rise to indicate revulsion accompanied by a sensation of constriction

My gorge rises at the sight of blood.

3

a

: a hawk's crop

b

: stomach, belly

4

: the entrance into an outwork (such as a bastion) of a fort

5

: a primitive device used instead of a fishhook that consists of an object (such as a piece of bone attached in the middle of a line) easy to swallow but difficult to eject

6

: a mass choking a passage

a river dammed by an ice gorge

7

: the line on the front of a coat or jacket formed by the crease of the lapel and collar

gorge

2 of 3

verb

gorged; gorging

intransitive verb

: to eat greedily or to repletion

gorged on pasta

also : to partake of something in large amounts

gorging on books

transitive verb

1

a

: to stuff to capacity : glut

b

: to fill completely or to the point of distension

veins gorged with blood

2

: to consume greedily

fish gorging the bait

gorger noun

gorge

3 of 3

noun (2)

: the act or an instance of gorging

Synonyms of gorge

Noun (1)

• canyon
• ravine
• valley

Verb

• stuff
• sate
• glut
• feast
• fill

Choose the Right Synonym for gorge

satiate, sate, surfeit, cloy, pall, glut, gorge mean to fill to repletion.

satiate and sate may sometimes imply only complete satisfaction but more often suggest repletion that has destroyed interest or desire.

years of globe-trotting had satiated their interest in travel

readers were sated with sensationalistic stories

surfeit implies a nauseating repletion.

surfeited themselves with junk food

cloy stresses the disgust or boredom resulting from such surfeiting.

sentimental pictures that cloy after a while

pall emphasizes the loss of ability to stimulate interest or appetite.

a life of leisure eventually begins to pall

glut implies excess in feeding or supplying.

a market glutted with diet books

gorge suggests glutting to the point of bursting or choking.

gorged themselves with chocolate

Examples of gorge in a Sentence

Noun (1)

walked the bridge over the gorge, marveling at the spectacular drop

Verb

We gorged on chips and cookies.

We gorged ourselves on chips and cookies.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Bolaven Plateau is a place where remnants of ancient volcanic activity, such as lava cliffs and extinct volcanic craters, coexist with lush natural landscapes that feature breathtaking waterfalls, deep gorges, and dramatic riverscapes. —Jasmine Ting, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Mar. 2026

Float for a week through the canyon’s inner gorge, watching the walls climb to a mile above you, and then return here and the whole arc of the trip clicks into place. —Kevin Sintumuang, Outside, 18 Mar. 2026

Verb

The Raiders gorged in a different way, blowing the center market out of the water with a massive, $27 million per year contract for Baltimore’s Tyler Linderbaum and rocketing toward the top of the league in money spent. —Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026

Once in Dun, Mathilda gorges herself on strange delicacies while assembling disparate pieces of Hermia. —Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1), Verb, and Noun (2)

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin gurga, alteration of gurges, from Latin, whirlpool — more at voracious

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (2)

1854, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing gorge

• make someone's gorge rise

Rhymes for gorge

• forge
• sorge
• disgorge

Kids Definition

gorge

1 of 2 noun

ˈgȯ(ə)rj 

: a narrow passage, ravine, or steep-walled canyon

gorge

2 of 2 verb

gorged; gorging

: to eat greedily : stuff oneself

gorger noun