chummy

adjective

chum·​my ˈchə-mē How to pronounce chummy (audio)
chummier; chummiest
Synonyms of chummynext
: quite friendly
chummily
ˈchə-mə-lē How to pronounce chummy (audio)
adverb
chumminess
ˈchə-mē-nəs How to pronounce chummy (audio)
noun

Synonyms of chummy

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of chummy in a Sentence

She was getting chummy with the reporters. the neighboring families know each other but are hardly chummy
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.
With that chummy dynamic established, the latest episode makes room for romance — or at least the illusion of it. — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 24 Apr. 2026 But emails released earlier this year showed that Levine had a chummy past with both Epstein and Maxwell. — Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 23 May 2026 Pratt was in fact kinda chummy with Bass He calls Bass trash on social media — at least in Spanish. — Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026 Teenage Andy is getting ready for college and his toys wind up getting sent to Sunnyside Daycare, where seemingly chummy Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear (Ned Beatty) runs the show. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 19 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for chummy

Word History

Etymology

chum entry 1 + -y entry 1

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chummy was in 1884

Rhymes for chummy

See All Rhymes for chummy

Browse Nearby Words

chumminess
chummy
chump
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chummy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chummy. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

chummy

adjective
chum·​my ˈchəm-ē How to pronounce chummy (audio)
chummier; chummiest
: quite friendly
chummily
ˈchəm-ə-lē How to pronounce chummy (audio)
adverb
chumminess
ˈchəm-ē-nəs How to pronounce chummy (audio)
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on chummy

Nglish: Translation of chummy for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All