devour

verb

de·​vour di-ˈvau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce devour (audio)
dē-
devoured; devouring; devours

transitive verb

1
: to eat up greedily or ravenously
devoured the turkey and mashed potatoes
2
: to use up or destroy as if by eating
We are devouring the world's resources.
3
: to prey upon
devoured by guilt
4
: to enjoy avidly
devours books
devourer noun

Examples of devour in a Sentence

He devoured everything on his plate. The lions devoured their prey. She devoured every golf magazine she could find. He watched intently, devouring the scene before him with his eyes.
Recent Examples on the Web But even the most majestic of pumpkins inevitably meets the same fate: devoured by livestock, and returned to the earth. Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2024 Weaving compares Frank to Saturn devouring his sons, the classical myth where a Titan eats his young to prevent them from replacing him. Alison Herman, Variety, 9 Oct. 2024 McDonald’s $5 meal deal is staying on menus until December, likely a sign that inflation-weary customers are devouring it. Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 3 Oct. 2024 Wednesday’s findings are the fire department's most complete picture of what unfolded on Aug. 8, 2023, when a ravenous fire spread from the hills above Lahaina, once the capital of Hawaii, and devoured nearly everything in its path. Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC News, 2 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for devour 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'devour.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French devour-, stem of devorer, from Latin devorare, from de- + vorare to devour — more at voracious

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of devour was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near devour

Cite this Entry

“Devour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devour. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

devour

verb
de·​vour di-ˈvau̇(ə)r How to pronounce devour (audio)
1
: to eat up greedily or hungrily
devoured everything on his plate
2
: to use up or destroy as if by eating
fire devoured the barn
3
: to enjoy eagerly
devour a book

More from Merriam-Webster on devour

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!