chirp

chirp — verb

1. to produce a series of short, high-pitched sounds, as small birds and some insec

1.verbintransitiveA2
Definition

to produce a series of short, high-pitched sounds, as small birds and some insects do

Example

Each morning at sunrise, a sparrow chirps outside Ravi's bedroom window.

intransitive: chirp + adverbial of place

The baby chicks chirped loudly as the farmer brought their food.

Common collocations
  • chirp from a tree branch
  • chirp at sunrise
  • chirp in response
  • chirp cheerfully
Synonyms
  • peep

    softer, thinner sound; often used for very young birds

  • tweet

    more informal; often used in casual conversation about songbirds

  • chirrup

    a repeated series of short chirps, often with a livelier tone

Antonyms
  • roar

    a very loud, deep sound made by large animals or machines

Grammar Patterns

chirp + adverbial (place/time)

chirp + infinitive of purpose

Usage Note

Subject is usually a small bird (sparrow, robin, finch, canary) or an insect such as a cricket or grasshopper.

Common Mistakes

The cat chirped at the door.
The cat meowed at the door.
chirp describes sounds of birds and some insects, not household mammals like cats or dogs.
The car engine chirped loudly.
The car engine squeaked loudly.
chirp is not used for mechanical noises.

2. to speak in a bright, lively way that shows you are in a happy mood — used espec

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to speak in a bright, lively way that shows you are in a happy mood — used especially when someone says a greeting or shares exciting news

Example

"I got the job!" Theo chirped as soon as his sister walked through the door.

speech verb: chirped + direct speech

The children chirped with excitement when they saw the birthday cake.

collocation: chirp with excitement

Common collocations
  • chirp with delight
  • chirp a greeting
  • chirp excitedly
  • chirp happily
Synonyms
  • twitter

    also suggests excited, light-hearted talk; less common in modern use

  • warble

    more musical; can sound old-fashioned for speech

  • sing out

    phrasal verb; louder and more energetic than chirp

Antonyms
  • grumble

    speak in an unhappy, complaining way

  • growl

    speak in a low, angry voice

Grammar Patterns

chirp + direct speech

chirp + noun phrase (greeting/goodbye)

chirp + adverbial

Usage Note

Only used for human speech; for bird sounds use verb sense 1. Typically appears in written dialogue tags or informal narrative.

Common Mistakes

The sparrow chirped, "Good morning!
The sparrow chirped on the fence.
use sense 1 for actual bird sounds; chirp + speech is only for human voices.

chirp — noun

Word family

  • chirpy
    adjectiveB1
  • chirrup
    verbB2
  • chirrup
    nounB2
  • cheep
    verbB2
  • cheep
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Chirp is the most common and general word for the short, high-pitched sound made by small birds and some insects such as crickets. Peep describes a much thinner, more delicate sound — the kind a newly hatched chick makes from inside its shell. Tweet is a more casual word, often used in everyday conversation about birds in the garden; it also gave its name to the social media platform. Chirrup suggests a livelier, repeated series of short notes, often produced when a bird is communicating with its young or with other birds nearby. Trill refers to a longer, more musical sound with a rapid alternation between two notes, typical of songbirds like the canary. Use chirp for most situations; choose peep for tiny or distant sounds; tweet for informal contexts; chirrup for fast, multiple notes; and trill for sustained, musical bird calls.

chirp ↗peeptweet ↗chirruptrill

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • chirp and flutter
  • chirp and hop
  • the chirp of birds

Prepositions

Etymology

Middle EnglishEnglish

Chirp first appeared in English around the 1400s as an imitative (onomatopoeic) word — its sound echoes the quick, high noise made by small birds. Over time, the word extended to describe a person speaking in a bright, happy voice, and later gave rise to the adjective chirpy, meaning 'cheerful and lively.'