Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

chomp at the bit

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.53 in modern English

Syllables
chom-p at the bit
IPA
27
Scrabble Score
13
Letters
2
Syllables
10
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To show impatience or frustration when delayed.

Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

Non-standard variant of champ at the bit, recasting it as chomp (“to chew noisily”) + bit (“part of a horse's harness held in its mouth”); horses tend to chew on their bits when impatient at waiting.

Usage

Inflected Forms

chomps at the bit (present, singular) chomping at the bit (participle, present) chomped at the bit (participle, past) chomped at the bit (past) champ at the bit (alternative)

Phrases

bit between one's teeth

Frequently Paired Words

bit between one's teeth

Questions

What does chomp at the bit mean?
To show impatience or frustration when delayed.
Where does chomp at the bit come from?
Non-standard variant of champ at the bit, recasting it as chomp (“to chew noisily”) + bit (“part of a horse's harness held in its mouth”); horses tend to chew on their bits when impatient at waiting.

How to pronounce chomp at the bit

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “chomp at the bit”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “chomp at the bit”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “chomp at the bit” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.