chow down on
phrasal verb.phrasal verb. to eat a lot of food quickly and with great enthusiasm.
phrasal verb. to consume food vigorously or in large quantities; carries a highly informal, colloquial register often used in social or casual settings.
The kids chow down on pizza after their soccer game.
We found a great burger joint and spent the afternoon chowing down on fries and shakes.
While the guests were chowing down on the buffet, the host took the opportunity to make a surprise announcement.
highly informal; usually followed by a specific type of food as the object.
this is a great example of 'vivid' phrasal verbs; contrast it with 'eat' (neutral) and 'devour' (more intense/literary) to show how register changes based on the setting.
They chowed down the tacos.They chowed down on the tacos.the preposition 'on' is required when you mention the specific food being eaten.
Last updated April 24, 2026