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🧣 A neck cloth 🍔 To eat quickly 🪵 A wood joint 🪵 To join wood 🧣 To wrap with cloth ⚠️ Risky self-pleasure
to scarf

to scarf

14 5.0
To eat something quickly and greedily
  • verb
  • /skɑrf/
  • Informal
translation icon : zamparse
  • He was so hungry that he scarfed down three slices of pizza in just a few minutes.
  • scarf down food
  • scarf down a burger
  • scarf down a pizza

So I mean, if you simply blocked her from going out and scarfing up the little birds, that would be not good for her because she needs some kind of predation.

Examples

  • Nelson scarfed down his mousse and nodded toward me in appreciation.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • On the way back, stop in the little Czech community of West and scarf down some kolaches.

    Blog text (25)

  • What did you scarf down?

    The Palace (2023)

  • Like when I make a big deal about only having an orange for breakfast and then scarf all the way to work.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Why, I could scarf down all the junk food I wanted and then find a bathroom.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • She's probably scarfing as we speak.

    Against the Law (1997)

  • I just scarfed down 2 burritos.

    Trojan War (1997)

  • Gah, I could scarf down so many waffles in this moment!

    Blog text (16)

  • Lorna's now scarfing a big bowl of chow mein.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Jodie felt really sick because she had scarfed the entire 7-pound glazed ham at the reception, and I was upset because now the whole thing wasn't about aunt Paula anymore.

    Stuart Saves His Family (1995)

Synonyms

to stuff
vsto scarf
  • Informal
109 5.8

To eat a lot quickly until you feel too full

emphasizes speed and greed rather than the resulting fullness
to devour
vsto scarf
13 2.9

To eat food quickly because you are very hungry

is similar but emphasizes greediness rather than merely eagerness
to stuff one's face
vsto scarf
  • Informal
3 8.2

To eat a lot of food very quickly

highlights quick greedy eating but not necessarily reaching uncomfortable fullness
to bolt
vsto scarf
  • Informal
2 4.4

To eat food very quickly without chewing properly

focuses on quick greedy eating rather than the lack of chewing
to scarf out
vsto scarf
  • Informal
8.4

To eat a lot of food very quickly

is used for quick greedy eating generally, not only to excess in amount
to shovel in
vsto scarf
  • Informal
7.7

To eat a lot of food very fast without stopping

covers quick greedy eating in general, not only very large servings
to englut
vsto scarf
  • Archaic
9.9

To eat too much food in a greedy way

stresses quick greedy eating rather than only excessive quantity

Antonyms

to nibble
56 2.0

To eat small, gentle bites slowly or a little at a time

to savor
  • US
4 3.9

To give food a certain taste with spices or herbs

Phrasal Verbs

to scarf out
  • Informal
8.4

To eat a lot of food very quickly

Compounds

bhagwa scarf
  • Indian
9.9

A saffron-colored scarf worn to show Hindu identity or political support

scarf bandage
  • UK
5.1

A wide triangular cloth worn around the neck to hold an injured forearm

scarf joint
  • Specialized
9.0

A connection where two pieces are shaped to fit end to end to form a longer piece

How Fast

to wolf down
  • Informal
7 5.8
to devour
13 2.9
to scarf
  • Informal
14 5.0
to eat
∞ 1.0
to nibble
56 2.0

Surface Forms

scarf infinitive
scarfed past
scarfed past participle
scarfing present participle
scarfs third person singular

Etymology

Scarf meaning 'eat quickly' is a slang use that likely came from the image of shoving food into your mouth, so a helpful way to remember it is to picture eating so fast you 'scarf' your meal, which is why the word means to eat greedily and quickly.