What does gorged mean?
Gorged describes someone who has eaten or consumed so much that further food is unnecessary, and it can also characterize something filled or swollen to capacity. People say that a person is “gorged on cake,” “gorged with food,” or simply “completely gorged.” A river, reservoir, or vessel can likewise be “gorged with water.” As a verb form, gorged is the past tense and past participle of gorge, as in “She gorged herself on snacks before the journey.” The expression is vivid and informal when applied to people, often suggesting greed, indulgence, or an uncomfortable fullness. In descriptions of rivers or vessels, it can sound more literary and dramatic. Gorged is useful because it conveys not merely being full but having reached a conspicuously excessive limit.
Having eaten or consumed to excess; filled or swollen to capacity.
"The player was gorged after consuming three large meals before the game."
The food-related sense is informal and often suggests excessive indulgence. The sense meaning filled to capacity is more common in formal or literary descriptions of water, vessels, or natural features.
The past tense and past participle of gorge: to eat greedily or to excess.
"They gorged themselves on takeaway food throughout the evening."
It is commonly used transitively with a reflexive pronoun, as in “gorged himself on sweets,” although “gorged on sweets” is also idiomatic.
Gorged originally wore the throat: its name survives in the family of words meaning to swallow, gulp, or gurgle.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does gorged come from?
The word comes through Middle English and Old French from gorge, meaning “throat,” which was borrowed from Latin gurges, a term for the throat or gullet. The verb developed from the idea of filling or stuffing oneself, especially with food. English cognate derivatives include gurgle and related forms such as gurgler, all reflecting the same broader Latin root associated with the throat and the sound of liquid or air moving through it.
Related word forms
How gorged is actually used
The word is common in informal and figurative descriptions of excessive eating, often with a mildly negative or humorous tone. In descriptions of a swollen or overflowing river or vessel, it is more literary and evocative.
Easily confused with gorged
Gorge is the base verb and can also mean a deep valley or ravine, whereas gorged is the past-tense, past-participle, and adjective form of the verb.