chanted; chanting; chants

intransitive verb

1
: to make melodic sounds with the voice
especially : to sing a chant
2
: to recite something in a monotonous repetitive tone
protesters were chanting outside

transitive verb

1
: to utter as in chanting
2
: to celebrate or praise in song or chant

chant

2 of 2

noun

1
2
a
b
: a rhythmic monotonous utterance or song
c
: a composition for chanting

Examples of chant in a Sentence

Verb The crowd began chanting her name. They chanted “Sara, Sara” until she came back on stage. Protesters were chanting outside the governor's home.
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.
Verb
And are all those protesters chanting on the planet of Ghorman? Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 5 Mar. 2025 Despite needing help getting up, Irving went to the free-throw line to shoot his attempts before heading to the locker room, where MVP chants from the American Airlines Center crowd serenaded him. Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Mar. 2025
Noun
Meredith’s sister-in-law, Katie Gaudreau, also posted about hearing the chants for Johnny during the tournament, which ended with a 3-2 win for Canada in overtime. Sam Gillette, People.com, 21 Feb. 2025 Imagine every chant and song reverberating off the dome. Cuneyt Dil, Axios, 20 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for chant

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English chaunten, from Anglo-French chanter, from Latin cantare, frequentative of canere to sing; akin to Old English hana rooster, Old Irish canid he sings

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of chant was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Chant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chant. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

1
: to sing especially in the way a chant is sung
2
: to recite or speak with no change in tone
chanter noun

chant

2 of 2 noun
1
: a melody in which several words or syllables are sung in one tone
2
: something spoken in the style of a chant
Etymology

Verb

Middle English chaunten "to chant," from early French chanter (same meaning), derived from Latin canere "to sing" — related to cant entry 3, cantata, chantey, charm

More from Merriam-Webster on chant

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