Meaning & use
chirp
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Meanings
verbintransitive
To make a short, high-pitched sound, as small birds or insects do.
Grammar: No object; the subject is the animal or insect making the sound.
Patterns
- something chirps
- a bird chirps
The sparrows chirped outside my window all morning.
Crickets chirped in the warm evening air.
verbtransitive or intransitiveinformal
To say something in a bright, quick, cheerful voice.
Grammar: Can take a direct object (chirp a greeting) or stand alone (she chirped).
Patterns
- chirp something
- chirp a reply
"Good morning!" she chirped as she walked in.
He chirped a quick hello and hurried off.
nouncountable
A short, high-pitched sound made by a small bird or insect.
Grammar: Countable; use 'a chirp' or 'chirps'.
Patterns
- a chirp of a bird
- the chirps of crickets
I heard a faint chirp from the nest.
The only sound was the chirp of insects in the grass.
Word forms
| third person singular | chirps |
|---|---|
| past tense | chirped |
| past participle | chirped |
| -ing form | chirping |
Common combinations
- birds chirping
- Birds chirping woke me at dawn.
- chirp a greeting
- She chirped a greeting to everyone in the room.
- a chirp of laughter
- A chirp of laughter came from the children.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- chirpy adjective
- Cheerful and lively in manner.
- chirpily adverb
- In a cheerful, lively way.
Commonly confused: chirp or chime?
chirp vs chime
A chime is a musical ringing sound, like a bell; a chirp is a short, high animal sound.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'chirp' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Chirp' describes a short, high sound made by small birds or insects. Dogs bark, thunder rumbles, and you throw or kick a ball.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “chirp”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.