gorge 1 of 2

Definition of gorgenext

gorge

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to stuff
to fill with food to capacity we gorged ourselves on the four pies Aunt Martha had brought for Thanksgiving

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to feast
to eat greedily or to excess the kids began gorging on Halloween candy the minute they got back from trick-or-treating

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in to devour
to swallow or eat greedily the ravenous dogs furiously gorged the scraps of meat

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word gorge different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of gorge are cloy, glut, pall, sate, satiate, and surfeit. While all these words mean "to fill to repletion," gorge suggests glutting to the point of bursting or choking.

gorged themselves with chocolate

When can cloy be used instead of gorge?

The words cloy and gorge can be used in similar contexts, but cloy stresses the disgust or boredom resulting from such surfeiting.

sentimental pictures that cloy after a while

When might glut be a better fit than gorge?

Although the words glut and gorge have much in common, glut implies excess in feeding or supplying.

a market glutted with diet books

Where would pall be a reasonable alternative to gorge?

While in some cases nearly identical to gorge, pall emphasizes the loss of ability to stimulate interest or appetite.

a life of leisure eventually begins to pall

How do satiate and sate relate to one another, in the sense of gorge?

Both 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

When could surfeit be used to replace gorge?

While the synonyms surfeit and gorge are close in meaning, surfeit implies a nauseating repletion.

surfeited themselves with junk food

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of gorge
Noun
Standing at 2,050 feet above the Beipan River and nearly twice the height of the Eiffel Tower, the Huajiang Canyon Bridge is not only a tourist attraction, but a driver of economic growth, cutting travel time across the gorge from two hours to two minutes. Time Contributors, Time, 29 Apr. 2026 Her rock-climbing skills also come in handy when she’s trapped in a narrow gorge, and soon after when a hairy ascent provides echoes of the prologue. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
Of all the schemes that humans have devised to keep sea lions from gorging on the salmon of the Columbia River basin, none has worked for long. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026 Our collective efforts were failing as residents battled billionaires and the politicians gorging on them. Josh Peter, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gorge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gorge
Noun
  • To make the case, everyone who cares about the magnificent red-rock canyons of Grand Staircase-Escalante and Southern Utah needs to act now.
    Scott Braden, Denver Post, 19 May 2026
  • That diversity is reflected in the country’s landscapes—from desert canyons to alpine peaks and coastal shores—as well as in its regional cuisines, local traditions, and one-of-a-kind experiences.
    Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 19 May 2026
Verb
  • What sets a muffuletta, that iconic sandwich from New Orleans, apart from other sandwiches similarly stuffed with assorted deli meats is the olive salad that’s slathered across the bread.
    Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 17 May 2026
  • Throughout, visiting tourist Madeleine (Kristen Stewart) stuffs her face with every kind of meat, vegetable and carb while her father Phil (Woody Harrelson) is the one whose stomach miraculously swells.
    Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
Verb
  • It was decided much earlier, when the Fever’s defensive effort wasn’t up to par, and the Mystics feasted, particularly around the basket.
    James Boyd, New York Times, 16 May 2026
  • The small flowers are visited by native bees and butterflies, while songbirds feast on the berries.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 14 May 2026
Verb
  • Defenseman John Carlson made a weak play off his forehand along the left-wing wall that was devoured by Ivan Barbashev, who snuck the puck past Granlund to Dorofeyev for a goal from the slot.
    Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 15 May 2026
  • Tom Sturridge, though, sweeps in to devour the screen as fictional oligarch Dmitri Sidorov, a flashy sort who drives a wedge between Baranov and his romantic interest Ksenia (Alicia Vikander).
    Randy Myers, Mercury News, 13 May 2026
Noun
  • On May 2, rescuers were sent to the trail after getting reports of a hiker who'd fallen into a ravine, the Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team said in a statement.
    Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
  • When camping in an open environment, select a campsite in a valley, ravine, or low region.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 11 May 2026
Verb
  • People sating their desires for food and company no longer need seedy hotels or hastily arranged Facebook events, now that brick-and-mortar spaces like Aikens’s restaurant exist.
    Victoria M. Walker, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 May 2026
  • Those viewers were probably not sated by the FCC’s February review of the performance, which found that the songs’ lyrics had been appropriately altered for the broadcast.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
Verb
  • Ludwig says many breakfast skippers end up overeating at night.
    Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 13 May 2026
  • Chips and Snacks Snacks like chips and pretzels are low in calories but easy to overeat.
    Jillian Kubala, Health, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Because the high is brief, users may repeatedly inhale the substance over a short period of time, which increases the risk of toxicity.
    Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
  • Rather than burn tobacco, e-cigarettes heat up a liquid consisting of nicotine, flavorings and additives that are inhaled as vapor.
    Aria Bendix, NBC news, 15 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gorge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gorge. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on gorge

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