What does gobbling mean?
Gobbling means eating or swallowing food quickly and greedily, often with little regard for neatness or manners. The word is especially vivid when it suggests the sound of rapid swallowing: someone gobbling a meal is typically eating eagerly, impatiently, or voraciously. Gobbling also has a sound-based sense, referring to a repeated guttural noise made while swallowing and to the call of a turkey. As a noun, gobbling is comparatively uncommon and usually denotes the act itself rather than a specific quantity. In everyday use, the verb is informal and can carry a mildly critical or humorous implication when it describes table manners, although it may simply emphasize enthusiasm or appetite. Its usefulness lies in combining the physical actions of eating and swallowing with the distinctive sounds associated with them.
To eat or swallow food quickly and greedily; to make a repeated swallowing sound; or, of a turkey, to make its characteristic call.
"The crowd began gobbling the snacks as soon as they were set out."
The food-related sense is informal and often humorous or mildly disapproving when describing someone's table manners.
The act of eating or swallowing food quickly and greedily, or of making a repeated swallowing sound.
"We could hear the gobbling from the kitchen."
The noun is relatively uncommon and is more often used to evoke the action or its sound than to count individual instances.
The plural is rare; gobbling is usually used as an uncountable noun.
"The repeated gobblings came from the busy dining hall."
From the noisy rush of a hungry diner to the unmistakable call of a turkey, gobbling brings eating and animal sounds together in one vivid word.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of gobbling
The word comes from Middle English gobelen, meaning “to eat or swallow greedily,” which developed from Old French gobeler. The French word was ultimately connected with gobelet, meaning a small cup or goblet, although gobbling came to focus on the manner of eating and drinking rather than on the vessel. Modern gobbling preserves this long history of rapid, voracious consumption and the sounds associated with it.
Related word forms
How gobbling is actually used
As a verb, gobbling is usually informal and conveys speed, greed, or an eager appetite. It can also describe the sound of rapid swallowing. As a noun, it is less common and is normally used for the act of gobbling, especially of food.