gorge

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈgȯrj 

1

: a narrow passage through land

especially : a narrow steep-walled canyon or part of a canyon

2

: throat

—often used with rise to indicate revulsion accompanied by a sensation of constriction

My gorge rises at the sight of blood.

3

a

: a hawk's crop

b

: stomach, belly

4

: the entrance into an outwork (such as a bastion) of a fort

5

: a primitive device used instead of a fishhook that consists of an object (such as a piece of bone attached in the middle of a line) easy to swallow but difficult to eject

6

: a mass choking a passage

a river dammed by an ice gorge

7

: the line on the front of a coat or jacket formed by the crease of the lapel and collar

gorge

2 of 3

verb

gorged; gorging

intransitive verb

: to eat greedily or to repletion

also : to partake of something in large amounts

gorging on books

transitive verb

1

a

: to stuff to capacity : glut

b

: to fill completely or to the point of distension

veins gorged with blood

2

: to consume greedily

gorger noun

gorge

3 of 3

noun (2)

: the act or an instance of gorging

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• canyon
• cañon
• col
• couloir
• defile
• flume
• gap
• gill [British]
• gulch
• gulf
• kloof [South African]
• linn [chiefly Scottish]
• notch
• pass
• ravine
• saddle

Verb

• cram
• glut
• sate
• stuff
• surfeit

Choose the Right Synonym for gorge

satiate, sate, surfeit, cloy, pall, glut, gorge mean to fill to repletion.

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

surfeit implies a nauseating repletion.

surfeited themselves with junk food

cloy stresses the disgust or boredom resulting from such surfeiting.

sentimental pictures that cloy after a while

pall emphasizes the loss of ability to stimulate interest or appetite.

a life of leisure eventually begins to pall

glut implies excess in feeding or supplying.

a market glutted with diet books

gorge suggests glutting to the point of bursting or choking.

gorged themselves with chocolate

Examples of gorge in a Sentence

Noun (1)

walked the bridge over the gorge, marveling at the spectacular drop

Verb

We gorged on chips and cookies.

We gorged ourselves on chips and cookies.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Thrill seekers and novice hikers alike will get the best views of the gorge, river, and waterfalls from the 80-foot-high suspension bridge. —Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 21 Mar. 2025

Murphy proved her adventurous spirit in Zimbabwe, taking on the gorge swing — a 70-meter free fall over the Zambezi River at Victoria Falls. —Nasha Smith, People.com, 17 Mar. 2025

Verb

May brings a chance to celebrate the 150 cultures represented in the city with celebrations like Japan Fes (gorge yourself on everything from yakisoba to matcha sweets). —Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 6 Mar. 2025

Tykwer was one of a new generation of film geek obsessives, autodidacts who gorged themselves on midnight screenings, VHS tapes and repertory theaters, whose movies would mash up the tropes and obsessions of cinema history with the fresh aesthetics of video games and music videos. —Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1), Verb, and Noun (2)

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin gurga, alteration of gurges, from Latin, whirlpool — more at voracious

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (2)

1854, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing gorge

• make someone's gorge rise

Rhymes for gorge

• forge
• sorge
• disgorge

Kids Definition

gorge

1 of 2 noun

ˈgȯ(ə)rj 

: a narrow passage, ravine, or steep-walled canyon

gorge

2 of 2 verb

gorged; gorging

: to eat greedily : stuff oneself

gorger noun