✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

munchkin

noun

munch·​kin ˈmənch-ˌkin How to pronounce munchkin (audio)
: a person who is notably small and often endearing

Examples of munchkin in a Sentence

“What's wrong, munchkin?” she asked the toddler.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo‘s musical Wicked explainer on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon went viral last year — and now, there’s a version for the munchkins in your life too. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 25 Nov. 2025 The rise of Elphaba’s resentful sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) to governor of Oz, which twists her relationship with the munchkin Boq (Ethan Slater), feels a little rushed to flesh out her bitter embrace of the Wicked Witch of the East title. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 18 Nov. 2025 Ramundo's offers appetizers, soups, salads, pizzas, subs, calzones, desserts and a munchkin menu for the little pizza lovers in your life. Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 13 Nov. 2025 In his prime, Paul was a player who had virtually no weaknesses, despite being listed at six feet tall, which is munchkin territory in the NBA. Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for munchkin

Word History

Etymology

the Munchkins, diminutive creatures in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) by L. Frank Baum

First Known Use

1972, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of munchkin was in 1972

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Munchkin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/munchkin. Accessed 3 Dec. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!