What does chevying mean?
Chevying is the present participle of the informal British verb "chevy" (more often spelled "chivy" or "chivvy"), meaning to chase someone or, more commonly, to pester and hurry them persistently until they do what is wanted. A parent might be described as chevying reluctant children off to school, or a journalist as chevying an official for an answer. The word carries a mildly exasperated, often faintly humorous connotation: it suggests nagging energy rather than genuine menace, sitting somewhere between gentle urging and outright harassment. Its exact origins are obscure, though it has been linked to the name of the medieval border hunt celebrated in the ballad "Chevy Chase." Though chiefly British and informal, it remains a vivid, expressive choice when a single word is needed for the familiar business of hustling people along.
verbThe present participle of "chevy" (also spelled chivy or chivvy): to chase, pester, or harass someone persistently in order to make them do something or hurry along.
- To chase or pursue someone or something.
- To pester, hurry, or badger someone repeatedly until they act.
"She spent the morning chevying the children out of bed and into their school uniforms."
"The foreman was forever chevying the new apprentices to work faster."
"Reporters were chevying the minister for a statement all afternoon."
This little verb for nagging and chasing may trace back to "Chevy Chase," the famous old ballad about a hunt in the Cheviot Hills.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chevying
The verb "chevy" first appeared in English in the early nineteenth century as a colloquialism meaning to chase or harass. Its ultimate origin is uncertain, but it is generally thought to derive from the noun "chevy" meaning a chase or pursuit, which in turn comes from "Chevy Chase" — the name of the famous ballad describing a hunting expedition in the Cheviot Hills on the Anglo-Scottish border. The variant spellings "chivy" and "chivvy" arose later and are now the more frequent forms.
Related word forms
How chevying is actually used
Informal and chiefly British in flavor, though understood in American English. The spellings "chevy" and "chevying" are less common than "chivy"/"chivvy" and their inflections. The tone is usually mildly comic or exasperated rather than hostile.
Easily confused with chevying
"Cheviot" refers to a breed of sheep and a woolen fabric named after the Cheviot Hills, whereas "chevying" means chasing or pestering someone.