Definitions

lunch

[luhnch] / lʌntʃ /

NOUN

midday meal

Synonyms

STRONG

luncheon

WEAK

high tea snack tea

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for lunch?

The word lunch originally comes from a shortening of luncheon, which was once used to mean the same thing but now more specifically refers to a formal lunch held in connection with a meeting or other special occasion. Lunch is the midday meal, commonly eaten around noon (though later in some places). The time at which you eat lunch is called lunchtime. A late lunch is one eaten later than usual. Lunch isn’t always defined by the time it’s eaten, though. In some places, a midday meal is called dinner when it’s the main meal of the day. A light lunch is one that’s not too heavy or filling. A hot lunch is one that consists of hot foods, as opposed to cold food, like cold sandwiches. A packaged lunch provided at an event is often called a box lunch (or a boxed lunch). A lunch that you pack for yourself is often called a brown-bag lunch. The term bag lunch (or bagged lunch) can refer to one that’s provided or one that you packed yourself. The period allotted to eat lunch during a workday is called a lunch break or the lunch hour. In school, this is often called the lunch period. A business meeting conducted over lunch can be called a business lunch, a lunch meeting, or a power lunch. According to popular wisdom, there is no such thing as a free lunch. To do lunch means to meet someone for lunch. This is often called a lunch date. Brunch is a meal that’s like a combination of breakfast and lunch, typically eaten between breakfast time and lunchtime. A midmorning break for a snack—eaten after breakfast but before lunch—can be called elevenses (in reference to being eaten around 11 a.m.). In the U.K., the term high tea refers to a late afternoon or early evening meal similar to a light supper. Lunch can also be a verb, though this is quite formal and is much less commonly used. To lunch means to eat lunch, or to eat something specific for lunch, as in We lunched on sandwiches. More specifically, it can mean to engage in lunch as an activity, as in First we’ll visit the museum, then we’ll lunch, then we’ll see a show.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

lunch lunches lunched lunching

Once I manually logged in, it made the reservations while I made lunch.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

In the video Hearn said that he has Huel products for breakfast and lunch during the working week, but has a "traditional meal" when he goes home.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

Citizens who aren’t likely to notice when their local newspaper becomes a bit more bare-bones, or that the already byzantine healthcare system becomes slightly harder to navigate, will definitely notice when their lunch gets worse.

From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2026

The injections can be done during your lunch hour, while recovering from a conventional rhinoplasty can take weeks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

After lunch they all lay on the edge of the beach.

From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr

Sampson-Smith added: "We provided school lunches during the school holidays, but at this point in time we've nothing in our freezers to do that for half term."

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

I’ll be sharing some of my favorites over the coming weeks, but a pot of soup in the fridge can quietly carry several lunches without asking much of you.

From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2026

School lunches, cleaning supplies and other needs associated with a lack of running water are up to parents to deal with.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

Power lunches and on-the-clock golf outings may no longer be commonplace, but many people across industries say that wine knowledge can still offer a leg up at work.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Her work raising funds for the new hospital assisted in this regard, in addition to her afternoon lunches with the other ladies of the neighborhood.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

The two spacecraft, lunched on a single rocket, separated in space.

From BBC ● Jan. 16, 2025

My friends and I lunched in the spring shade of Surprise Arch, a natural stone arch sandwiched between two massive rock walls.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 18, 2024

In the statement Monday noting Rubiales’ resignation, after Ceferin had lunched with the women delegates, there was praise but not words of solidarity toward the Spanish players or women’s soccer in general.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 11, 2023

Then had come a break before the fourth round, so Scheffler and McIlroy and Jon Rahm and others had lunched together.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 28, 2022

I knew the other clerks and young bond-salesmen by their first names and lunched with them in dark crowded restaurants on little pig sausages and mashed potatoes and coffee.

From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The two leaders ended up getting on well, even lunching together at times, despite belonging to different camps, said a senior U.S. defense official.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026

Munir accompanied Sharif during a visit to Washington in June, lunching with Trump.

From Barron's ● Apr. 12, 2026

A walkway runs along the length of it, passing by a giant dinosaur skeleton, a beach volleyball pitch and dozens of Googlers lunching under the hazy November sun.

From BBC ● Nov. 19, 2025

Masoud Shahed-Ghaznavi was lunching at home when it roared through his neighborhood, causing him to hide in the laundry room as sheetrock fell and windows shattered.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 2, 2023

“I saw him for the first time when lunching here yesterday.”

From "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie

lunch

Frequently Asked Questions

Example Sentences

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