Pig out
Meaning
To eat a very large quantity of food, often quickly and greedily.
Origin
Pigs have long been associated with voracious appetites, a reputation earned through their natural foraging habits—they eat almost anything they find, often quickly and in large quantities. It wasn't until the 20th century, however, that this observed behavior transformed into the modern slang phrase "pig out." Emerging in American English, particularly gaining traction in the 1970s, the expression vividly captured the act of indulging in an excessive amount of food. The imagery is unmistakable: a person consuming food with the same single-minded, uninhibited gusto as a pig at a trough, making no apologies for their gluttony.
Examples
- After the marathon, she decided it was time to really pig out on pizza and ice cream.
- They planned a movie night where they could just relax and pig out on snacks.