chuck in: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
MediumInformal, colloquial
Quick answer
What does “chuck in” mean?
To stop doing something, to quit or give up an activity or plan.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To stop doing something, to quit or give up an activity or plan; to contribute something casually.
Primarily used in British and Commonwealth English. Can mean 1) to abandon a job, relationship, or effort ('He chucked in his job'), 2) to add something extra or for free ('They chucked in a free case with the phone'), or 3) in sports, to concede defeat.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
'Chuck in' in the sense of 'quit/abandon' is very common in British English but rare in American English. Americans typically say 'quit', 'give up', or 'pack it in'. The 'add extra' sense ('throw in') is used in both varieties but 'chuck in' is markedly British.
Connotations
In British English, it has a casual, everyday, sometimes working-class connotation. In American English, if used at all, it sounds distinctly British.
Frequency
High frequency in informal British speech; very low frequency in American English.
Grammar
How to Use “chuck in” in a Sentence
Subject + chuck in + Direct Object (e.g., He chucked in his job.)Subject + chuck in + Direct Object + Prepositional Phrase (e.g., They chucked in a charger for free.)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “chuck in” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- She chucked in her law degree to become a musician.
- The salesman chucked in a screen protector to seal the deal.
American English
- (Rare. A Brit in the US might say) 'I chucked in my corporate job.' An American would more likely say: 'I quit my corporate job.'
- The salesperson threw in a screen protector to seal the deal.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare in formal contexts. Might be used informally between colleagues: 'I'm thinking of chucking it in and starting my own business.'
Academic
Virtually never used.
Everyday
Very common in informal British conversation to discuss jobs, education, or relationships.
Technical
Not used.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “chuck in”
- Using 'chuck in' in formal American contexts. Confusing it with 'chuck out' (to throw away/evict). Overusing it for all types of 'stopping' (e.g., 'He chucked in running' is less common than 'He chucked in his job').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is distinctly informal and colloquial. Avoid it in formal writing or speech.
Literally, yes (e.g., 'Chuck the rubbish in the bin'), but this is a simple phrasal verb use. The main idiomatic meanings are 'quit' and 'add extra'.
In the 'add extra' sense, they are synonymous, but 'chuck in' is more informal/British. In the 'quit' sense, only 'chuck in' (or 'pack in') is used; 'throw in' alone doesn't mean this (though 'throw in the towel' does).
Americans overwhelmingly use 'quit' (He quit his job) or 'give up' (He gave up his career in finance). 'Pack it in' is understood but less common.
To stop doing something, to quit or give up an activity or plan.
Chuck in: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtʃʌk ɪn/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtʃʌk ɪn/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “chuck in the towel (to admit defeat)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine someone casually CHUCKing their work uniform INto a bin – that's 'chucking in' your job.
Conceptual Metaphor
ABANDONING IS THROWING AWAY (The activity/object is discarded physically). ADDING IS THROWING IN (An extra item is tossed into a deal).
Practice
Quiz
In which variety of English is 'chuck in' (meaning 'quit') most common and natural?