consume

verb

con·​sume kən-ˈsüm 

consumed; consuming

transitive verb

1

: to do away with completely : destroy

Fire consumed several buildings.

2

a

: to spend wastefully : squander

consumed his inheritance on luxuries

b

: use up

Writing consumed much of his time.

3

a

: to eat or drink especially in great quantity

consumed several bags of pretzels

b

: to enjoy avidly : devour

… mysteries, which she consumes for fun …

—Eden Ross Lipson

4

: to engage fully : engross

consumed with curiosity

5

: to utilize as a customer

consume goods and services

intransitive verb

1

: to waste or burn away : perish

2

: to utilize economic goods

Synonyms

• devour
• eat (up)

Examples of consume in a Sentence

The new lights consume less electricity.

She's making an effort to live more simply and consume less.

Hundreds of books were consumed in the fire.

Recent Examples on the Web

In simple terms, your kids are consuming too much junk food. —Fred Sassani, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024

Healthcare already consumes a larger share of the federal budget than Social Security or defense. —Arthur L. Kellermann, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024

Yes, but: The share of Americans who consume news and talk about social issues either in person or online has been steadily decreasing over the last few years, the report found. —Alex Fitzpatrick, Axios, 20 Nov. 2024

The study found that the group that consumed the low-flavanol drink had reduced vascular function for an hour and a half after the test was over. —Christine Rousselle, Fox News, 19 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French consumer, from Latin consumere, from com- + sumere to take up, take, from sub- up + emere to take — more at sub-, redeem

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

consume

verb

con·​sume kən-ˈsüm 

consumed; consuming

1

: to destroy by or as if by fire

2

: use up, spend

the search consumed most of our time

3

: to eat or drink up

consumed too much ice cream

4

: to take up the interest or attention of

was consumed with curiosity

5

: to use as a customer

consume goods

consumable

-ˈsü-mə-bəl

adjective