chewing

IPA/tʃuː/
KK[tʃˈuɪŋ]IPA/tʃuː/

chewing — verb

  • chewingpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • chewings3rd person singular
  • chewinging-ing form
  • chewingedpast simple

1. to use your teeth to break food into small, soft pieces inside your mouth before

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

to use your teeth to break food into small, soft pieces inside your mouth before sending it down into your throat and stomach

例句

Yumi always chews her food slowly so that she can enjoy every flavour.

chew + adverb of manner (slowly)

The doctor told Beatrix to chew each piece of meat twenty times before swallowing.

imperative pattern: chew + each + noun phrase

同義詞
  • munch

    less formal; suggests chewing noisily or with evident enjoyment, often on crunchy food

  • grind

    describes the pressing and crushing motion of the teeth, often used for very hard or tough food

  • chomp

    informal; suggests biting down with force and chewing energetically

反義詞
  • swallow

    the action that follows chewing — sending food down the throat without further breaking it up

  • gulp

    to swallow quickly without chewing properly, often because of hunger or haste

文法句型

chew + noun phrase (food, meat, gum)

chew + adverb of manner (slowly, carefully, thoroughly)

imperative: 'Chew your food!'

用法筆記

The object is almost always solid food or something edible that needs breaking down. Frequently appears in imperatives, especially when addressing children ('Chew your food properly!'). Also common with manner adverbs such as 'slowly', 'thoroughly', and 'carefully'.

常見錯誤

❌He chewed his food and swallowed.' (redundant — chewing naturally precedes swallowing)
✅He chewed each mouthful carefully before swallowing.
💡Add a manner adverb to avoid redundancy.
❌She chewed the meat but it was too tough.
✅She chewed the tough piece of steak for a long time, but it never became soft enough to swallow.
💡Provide more context about the quality or duration of the chewing.

2. to bite something many times without intending to swallow it, often to taste it,

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

to bite something many times without intending to swallow it, often to taste it, to calm yourself, or out of habit

例句

Imran chewed on a piece of gum while he waited for the train to arrive.

phrasal pattern: chew on + [small object]

Selim chewed his pen nervously during the long job interview.

collocation: chew + [object] + nervously

同義詞
  • nibble

    gentler and more delicate; suggests taking very small bites, often of food

  • gnaw

    stronger and more persistent; suggests biting hard on something over a long period, like an animal on a bone

  • bite

    a single action of cutting with the teeth; does not imply repetition

反義詞
  • spit out

    to push something out of the mouth after tasting or chewing it

文法句型

chew + noun phrase (gum, pencil, lip)

chew on + noun phrase (a pencil, a piece of gum, one's lip)

用法筆記

The object is often something not meant to be swallowed — gum, a pencil, fingernails, one's lip, or a toy. The phrasal verb 'chew on' is very common in this sense. When the object is a body part ('chew one's lip', 'chew one's nails'), it usually signals nervousness or concentration.

常見錯誤

❌She chewed gum.' (unnatural without an article)
✅She chewed a piece of gum on the bus.
💡Use 'a piece of gum' or 'some gum' instead of the bare noun.
❌He chewed his nails when he was nervous.
✅He chewed his fingernails whenever he felt nervous before a test.
💡Specify 'fingernails' for clarity, and provide a trigger for the habit.