chef's kiss

noun

plural chef's kisses
: a gesture of satisfaction or approval made by kissing the fingertips of one hand and then spreading the fingers with an outward motion
The crab itself deserved a chef's kiss—not only was it clear that it was good quality crab that had been handled with care, but it also had this mouthwatering consistency that held its integrity until you bit into it. Then it was like a burst of flavour.Amy Martin
often used interjectionally
… To finish it off, drizzle with honey and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt. Chef's kiss.Maki Yazawa
The plaid thigh-high boots, the daring slit, the mohawk head piece? Chef's kiss.Ehis Osifo

Examples of chef's kiss in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web And never forget the decision to cast Edward Norton as an Elon Musk stand-in—chef's kiss. Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 30 May 2024 Another photo shows the mom of three blowing a chef's kiss as her kids laugh and embrace. Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 26 May 2024 The Big Mac Sauce also goes unrivaled, and the extra amount of it was a chef's kiss addition. The Enquirer, 25 Jan. 2024 And then adding Paul into the equation...chef's kiss. EW.com, 24 Nov. 2023 Last year's Amazon Cyber Monday deals were totally *chef's kiss* and this year is starting off just as strong. Anamaria Glavan, Allure, 27 Nov. 2023 Nordstrom's curation of luxury beauty, fashion, and home goods is…chef's kiss. Malia Griggs, Glamour, 27 Nov. 2023 In addition to the impressive color payoff, the shade range is also chef's kiss. Annie Blay, Allure, 3 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chef's kiss.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1992, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chef's kiss was in 1992

Dictionary Entries Near chef's kiss

Cite this Entry

“Chef's kiss.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chef%27s%20kiss. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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