Eat crow means: To recognize that one has been shown to be mistaken or outdone, especially by admitting that one has made a humiliating error.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
eat crow
(chiefly, US, idiomatic) To recognize that one has been shown to be mistaken or outdone, especially by admitting that one has made a humiliating error.
ˌit ˈkɹoʊDocumented since 1870sSilenthistoricalCurrent140 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
Etymology timeline
Born ~1870 · 1 year of recorded use19th centurySee decade cohort →
Definitions
#1·Apr 27, 2026
(chiefly, US, idiomatic) To recognize that one has been shown to be mistaken or outdone, especially by admitting that one has made a humiliating error.
He must apologise, he saw that clearly enough, must eat crow, as he told himself.
Origin: First appeared in the US in the 1870s under the form eat boiled crow. Further origin . Crow meat is considered unfit for consumption, but this is true of very many animals. Compare perhaps the association of black birds with misfortune. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents
Eat crow means: To recognize that one has been shown to be mistaken or outdone, especially by admitting that one has made a humiliating error.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
eat crow means: To recognize that one has been shown to be mistaken or outdone, especially by admitting that one has made a humiliating error.. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
Cluster: embarrassment
Heard in the wild
“People like you constantly eat crow and scuttle back under your rock. Never changing, never adapting, just the same old tired falsehoods.”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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