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

Captain Smith, vice-captain David Warner and opener Bancroft later explained they cooked up the ball-tampering plot during lunch on the third day of the third Test.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Reports written live by ESPNCricinfo suggest the ball began reversing in the first hour after lunch, 35 overs into the South Africa second innings.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

In response, school lunch menus were revamped to offer more meatless and dairy-free options.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

On a lunch break at work shortly after her Instagram post, she opened her phone to 200 new comments.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

Nim and Fred ran up and slid down until it was time for lunch.

From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr

The agenda is big on healthier lunches in schools, and the campaign is calling for public policy to “integrate healthy food into how Michigan delivers healthcare.”

From Slate ● Oct. 7, 2026

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

The feds operate more than a dozen food assistance programs, which provide grocery money for new parents and their toddlers, as well as free school breakfasts and lunches for lower-income children.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 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

Gabriel and Ethan go on eating their lunches.

From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson

They never divorced and lunched together almost daily.

From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2025

Accompanied by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, he also lunched at a pizza parlor owned and operated by military veterans.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 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

During the trip, Mr. Musk also lunched with Bernard Arnault, the founder of LVMH, the world’s largest luxury company and a major advertiser.

From New York Times ● Jun. 29, 2023

Mrs. Van Hopper lunched in the restaurant for the first time since her influenza, and I had a pain in the pit of my stomach as I followed her into the room.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

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

Sims made the comment while he was lunching with Matt Troyka, a Democrat who voted for Kamala Harris in 2024.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 4, 2025

Later that day, I took Barack to lunch at the fancy restaurant on the first floor of our office building, a place packed with well-groomed bankers and lawyers power lunching over meals priced like dinners.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

lunch

Frequently Asked Questions

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Related Words