“Munch” would seem to be a fairly innocuous word.
Not everyone uses it in everyday conversation, but most people know it describes eating. Munching may be loud and obnoxious, or it may just be a reference to grabbing frequent snacks. It’s also where the term familiar to all weed smokers, “the munchies,” originated.
Anyone with a teenager may also have heard the word used in a different context. Those performing or competing in sports or the arts might sum up their day as “we ate” or “we munched,” meaning they had a great outing.
When you see or hear “munch” in a TikTok video, though, the word’s meaning is far from innocuous.
What Does “Munch” Mean on TikTok?
Warning: Explicit content ahead.
The word “Munch” began trending on the social media platform after Ice Spice (real name: Isis Gaston), one of the original Spice Girls, released a rap song called “Munch (Feelin’ U)” in 2023. The record was a mainstream hit and was a monster on TikTok, with the video receiving millions of views.
“Munch” was already a common slang term, used in many parts of the US to describe someone performing oral sex on a woman. And that’s what Ice Spice had in mind when recording her hit song about a man who’s fixated on her: she only allows him to satisfy her specific sexual needs without getting anything in return, referring to him as “a munch.”
In a later interview. she described a “munch” as “an eater, or somebody that’s…obsessed with you.” She later clarified the definition even more, saying a “munch” is a person who’s so obsessed with you that they’re “fiending to give you oral sex.”
That’s the meaning the word has assumed on TikTok, and with more than two billion views for the hashtag #munch, it’s a meaning that’s well-known across the app.
One footnote: for some reason, “munch” is sometimes used in TikTok posts to mean “a hater,” but the origin of that meaning is unknown.
About the Author
Peter Hasselworth is a contributor at iDigic, sharing valuable insights about Instagram growth and social media marketing strategies.