consume

[kuh n-soom]

See more synonyms for consume on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), con·sumed, con·sum·ing.

to destroy or expend by use; use up.
to eat or drink up; devour.
to destroy, as by decomposition or burning: Fire consumed the forest.

to spend (money, time, etc.) wastefully.
to absorb; engross: consumed with curiosity.

verb (used without object), con·sumed, con·sum·ing.

to undergo destruction; waste away.
to use or use up consumer goods.

Origin of consume

1350–1400; Middle English (< Middle French consumer) < Latin consūmere, equivalent to con- con- + sūmere to take up (perhaps < *suzm- < *subzm- < *subs-(e)m-, equivalent to subs-, variant of sub- sub- + emere to take, buy)

Related formshalf-con·sumed, adjectiveo·ver·con·sume, verb, o·ver·con·sumed, o·ver·con·sum·ing.pre·con·sume, verb (used with object), pre·con·sumed, pre·con·sum·ing.un·con·sumed, adjectiveun·der·con·sume, verb (used with object), un·der·con·sumed, un·der·con·sum·ing.

Synonyms

See more synonyms for consume on Thesaurus.com

1. exhaust, deplete. 4. squander, dissipate.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for consume

Contemporary Examples

And as technology adapts to reflect the ways we consume media, so too is the family adapting to technology.
Binge Watching is the New Bonding Time
The Daily Beast
December 10, 2014
This is just the way we consume TV now: our favorite shows, whenever we want them, wherever we want them.
New Innovations Let You Watch TV Anywhere You Go
December 8, 2014
You consume a nutritionally unbalanced diet because of concerns about “food purity.”
Orthorexia: When Healthy Eating Becomes an Obsession
DailyBurn
October 25, 2014
This means supplying proteins and fats because our bodies tend to need to eat less frequently when we consume them.
‘Good Poop’ Diet Is the Next Big Thing
Daniela Drake
October 7, 2014
She is equally desirous of Levine, as animalistic and eager to consume him while sticky with sanguine fluid.
Sex, Blood and Maroon 5: Pop Culture’s Wounds Run Deep
Lizzie Crocker
October 3, 2014

Historical Examples

He sat up and began to consume his soup, scarce doing it justice.
The Black Bag
Louis Joseph Vance
You're liable to start a conflagration you can't stop, and that may consume yourself, is all.
Good Indian
B. M. Bower
It was not worth while to consume the time of the House about it.
Punchinello, Vol. 1, No. 11, June 11, 1870
Various
It is not, of course, the root of the plant which we consume.
Storyology
Benjamin Taylor
Every man would produce as little and consume as much as he liked.
The Republic
Plato

British Dictionary definitions for consume

consume

verb

(tr) to eat or drink
(tr; often passive) to engross or obsess
(tr) to use up; expendmy car consumes little oil
to destroy or be destroyed by burning, decomposition, etcfire consumed the forest
(tr) to waste or squanderthe time consumed on that project was excessive
(passive) to waste away

Derived Formsconsuming, adjectiveconsumingly, adverb

Word Origin

C14: from Latin consūmere to devour, from com- (intensive) + sūmere to take up, from emere to take, purchase

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for consume

v.

late 14c., from Old French consumer "to consume" (12c.) and directly from Latin consumere "to use up, eat, waste," from com-, intensive prefix (see com-), + sumere "to take," from sub- "under" + emere "to buy, take" (see exempt (adj.)).

consume

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}consume

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for consume

Contemporary Examples

And as technology adapts to reflect the ways we consume media, so too is the family adapting to technology.

This is just the way we consume TV now: our favorite shows, whenever we want them, wherever we want them.

You consume a nutritionally unbalanced diet because of concerns about “food purity.”

This means supplying proteins and fats because our bodies tend to need to eat less frequently when we consume them.

She is equally desirous of Levine, as animalistic and eager to consume him while sticky with sanguine fluid.

Historical Examples

He sat up and began to consume his soup, scarce doing it justice.

You're liable to start a conflagration you can't stop, and that may consume yourself, is all.

It was not worth while to consume the time of the House about it.

It is not, of course, the root of the plant which we consume.

Every man would produce as little and consume as much as he liked.

consume

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for consume

v.

Origin of consume