peck at

peck at — idiom

1. to eat only a very small amount of a meal because you are not hungry, do not fin

1.慣用語不及物B1
釋義

to eat only a very small amount of a meal because you are not hungry, do not find the food interesting, or feel too upset to have a proper appetite.

例句

Luca just sat at the table and pecked at his dinner without saying a word.

peck at + food; emotional cause (upset)

After hearing the bad news, Yuki pecked at her lunch and pushed the plate away.

同義詞
  • pick at

    more common in American English; identical meaning about food

  • nibble

    suggests very small bites, not necessarily reluctance

反義詞
  • devour

    eat eagerly and in large quantities

  • wolf down

    eat very quickly and greedily

文法句型

peck at + food/meal

用法筆記

This sense is labeled as both an idiom and a phrasal verb in different dictionaries — all referring to the same reluctant-eating behaviour. The cause can be emotional (sadness, stress, disinterest in the food) or physiological (low appetite, illness, feeling full). The object must be a specific meal or food item, never an abstract concept.

常見錯誤

❌She pecked her dinner.
✅She pecked at her dinner.
💡the preposition 'at' is required.
❌She pecked at her work all afternoon.
✅She pecked at her food all afternoon.
💡peck at is only used for eating, not for other activities.

peck at — verb