gorge

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈgȯrj How to pronounce gorge (audio)
Synonyms of gorgenext
1
: a narrow passage through land
especially : a narrow steep-walled canyon or part of a canyon
2
: throat
—often used with rise to indicate revulsion accompanied by a sensation of constriction
My gorge rises at the sight of blood.
3
a
: a hawk's crop
b
: stomach, belly
4
: the entrance into an outwork (such as a bastion) of a fort
5
: a primitive device used instead of a fishhook that consists of an object (such as a piece of bone attached in the middle of a line) easy to swallow but difficult to eject
6
: a mass choking a passage
a river dammed by an ice gorge
7
: the line on the front of a coat or jacket formed by the crease of the lapel and collar

gorge

2 of 3

verb

gorged; gorging

intransitive verb

: to eat greedily or to repletion
also : to partake of something in large amounts
gorging on books

transitive verb

1
a
: to stuff to capacity : glut
b
: to fill completely or to the point of distension
veins gorged with blood
2
: to consume greedily
gorger noun

gorge

3 of 3

noun (2)

: the act or an instance of gorging

Synonyms

Noun (1)

Verb

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for gorge

satiate, sate, surfeit, cloy, pall, glut, gorge mean to fill to repletion.

satiate and sate may sometimes imply only complete satisfaction but more often suggest repletion that has destroyed interest or desire.

years of globe-trotting had satiated their interest in travel
readers were sated with sensationalistic stories

surfeit implies a nauseating repletion.

surfeited themselves with junk food

cloy stresses the disgust or boredom resulting from such surfeiting.

sentimental pictures that cloy after a while

pall emphasizes the loss of ability to stimulate interest or appetite.

a life of leisure eventually begins to pall

glut implies excess in feeding or supplying.

a market glutted with diet books

gorge suggests glutting to the point of bursting or choking.

gorged themselves with chocolate

Examples of gorge in a Sentence

Noun (1) walked the bridge over the gorge, marveling at the spectacular drop Verb We gorged on chips and cookies. We gorged ourselves on chips and cookies.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The message advised residents to steer clear of typically dry gorges or canals due to the risk of sudden flooding. —David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024 The national park was dedicated during a ceremony on Oct. 23 on the rim of one of its spectacular gorges. —Tiney Ricciardi, The Denver Post, 21 Oct. 2024
Verb
If necessary, vampire bats can gorge and consume four times their body weight in liquid. —Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2024 Cinema operators need patrons to gorge on film offerings to salvage a lackluster year at the movies. —Variety, NBC News, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gorge 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1), Verb, and Noun (2)

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin gurga, alteration of gurges, from Latin, whirlpool — more at voracious

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (2)

1854, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gorge was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing gorge

Dictionary Entries Near gorge

Gorgas

gorge

gorge hook

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Gorge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gorge. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

gorge

1 of 2 noun
ˈgȯ(ə)rj How to pronounce gorge (audio)
: a narrow passage, ravine, or steep-walled canyon

gorge

2 of 2 verb
gorged; gorging
: to eat greedily : stuff oneself
gorger noun

More from Merriam-Webster on gorge

Nglish: Translation of gorge for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of gorge for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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