chef

noun

ˈshef How to pronounce chef (audio)
Definition of chefnext
as in cook
a person who prepares food by some manner of heating the restaurant hired a famous chef to raise the quality of its cuisine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of chef Ditto for Kumar Ferguson, a longtime friend of Kelce and personal chef. — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026 Ahead, an expert chef and a food scientist share with us how to wash blueberries properly, plus tips for drying them to keep them plump and avoid mold. — Martha Stewart, 3 July 2026 This vibrant cookbook by writer and pastry chef Klancy Miller puts the fun back into solo cooking. — Sheela Prakash, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 July 2026 But chefs told Gualtieri that this standard could be uncomfortable. — Laura Clawson, JSTOR Daily, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for chef
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chef
  1. cook
  2. baker
Noun
  • Relatives said the 38-year-old line cook from Mexico had dropped off a child at daycare that morning.
    — Russ Bynum, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • While charcoal grills are the affordable gold standard for many home cooks, gas grills can do nearly everything a charcoal grill can (just with slightly less smoky flavor).
    — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 July 2026
Definition of cook
Noun
  • From candy makers to bakers and wedding favor brands, people and companies around the world appear to be capitalizing on what could be the biggest wedding of the era.
    — Bryan West, USA Today, 4 July 2026
  • Welcome to Bon Appétit Bake Club, a community of curious bakers.
    — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026
Definition of baker

Phrases Containing chef

Browse Nearby Words

cheesy
chef
chef d'oeuvre
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chef.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chef. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on chef

Nglish: Translation of chef for Spanish Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All