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

They were also potent for exactly the same reason: they took a distant argument about nationhood and shrank it down to lunch.

From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026

The rural-leaning, pizza-selling convenience-store giant is eating Domino’s lunch and scooping up rival chains.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

At lunch on the first day, the Pakistan Cricket Board threatened to cancel the remainder of the match and tour because of an interview with the sons of Imran Khan that was broadcast by Sky.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

Cook is regularly spotted walking the halls of Apple Park or grabbing lunch at one of Apple’s Caffè Mac cafeterias.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026

When the class finally ended, I shoved myself to my feet, my stomach snarling at the possibility of lunch.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Since the 2000s - when all four UK governments passed laws to make school lunches healthier - it's become much harder to find high-sugar or high-fat foods in most canteens.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 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

He has maintained it as a cultural project, with elegant bamboo huts to receive visitors for dawn trips, organic lunches and tamale-making classes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

On Sunday, I shall manufacture five identical lunches, and by Thursday afternoon I will apparently still be delighted to encounter a lentil-and-quinoa bowl.

From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026

The rest of us have lunches from home, but Gavin doesn’t, so I ask him, “Don’t you want to go get something to eat?”

From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen

They never divorced and lunched together almost daily.

From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2025

On our second date, we lunched at a Japanese restaurant, where he asked about my values and dreams.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 7, 2025

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

I had not seen him since we disappeared in the lift the day before, for wisely he had avoided dinner in the restaurant, possibly for the same reason that he lunched early now.

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

When he returns to Mar-a-Lago in the afternoon, members lunching on the patio often stand and applaud.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 19, 2024

I thought about a baby rabbit that our dog, Moody Blue, caught and carried around—she was not actually lunching on the rabbit, just playing.

From "Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech

lunch

Frequently Asked Questions

Example Sentences

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