eat like a bird

verb

To eat in small amounts rather than in a single full meal.

Opposite
eat like a horseeat like an animal
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Meanings

verbeat like a bird (third-person singular simple present eats like a bird, present participle eating like a bird, simple past ate like a bird, past participle eaten like a bird)

present singular third person eats like a bird · participle present eating like a bird · past ate like a bird · participle past eaten like a bird

  1. colloquialsimileTo eat in small amounts rather than in a single full meal.

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
eat like a horseeat like an animal

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 吃得少
  • 吃得少to eat small amounts
Finnish syödä kuin varpunen
  • syödä kuin varpunento eat small amounts
French manger comme un moineau
  • manger comme un moineauto eat small amounts
Hungarian annyit eszik, mint egy madár
  • annyit eszik, mint egy madárto eat small amounts
Polish jeść jak ptaszek, jeść jak kurczę
  • jeść jak ptaszekto eat small amounts
  • jeść jak kurczęto eat small amounts
  • jeść jak wróbelekto eat small amounts
Portuguese comer como um passarinho
  • comer como um passarinhoto eat small amounts
Spanish comer como un pajarito
  • comer como un pajaritoto eat small amounts
Cite this entry
APA

eat like a bird. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eat%20like%20a%20bird

MLA

“eat like a bird.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eat%20like%20a%20bird. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “eat like a bird,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eat%20like%20a%20bird.

Source: eat like a bird on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.