Munch Is a Sound Word, Like Crunch and Chomp

To munch is to chew steadily and often noisily. It belongs to a family of imitative eating words that each carry a different texture: you *munch* something firm, *crunch* something brittle, *chomp* something large, *nibble* something small and *slurp* something liquid. The consonants do the work — the hard k of crunch suits a snapped biscuit, the soft n of munch a steady jaw. The *munchies*, meaning sudden hunger, is 1970s American slang.

• To chew steadily. *Munching an apple.*
• The munchies — sudden hunger. *Got the munchies.*
• Crunch — brittle food. *Crunching crisps.*
• Nibble — small bites. *Nibbling cheese.*
• Chomp — large noisy bites. *Chomping away.*

Word forms

• She munched an apple on the way.Eating.
• He crunched through the crisps.Brittle.
• The munchies is 1970s slang.History.

Eating sounds, sorted

• Munch — steady chewing of firm food
• Crunch — brittle food breaking
• Chomp — large enthusiastic bites
• Nibble — small tentative bites
• Slurp — liquid drawn in noisily

Middle English *monche*, of imitative origin, possibly influenced by Old French *mangier*, to eat.