consume

American  

[kuhn-soom] / kənˈsum /

verb (used with object)

consumed, consuming

1. to destroy or expend by use; use up.

   Synonyms:

   deplete, exhaust

2. to eat or drink up; devour.

3. to destroy, as by decomposition or burning.

   Fire consumed the forest.

4. to spend (money, time, etc.) wastefully.

   Synonyms:

   dissipate, squander

5. to absorb; engross.

   consumed with curiosity.

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verb (used without object)

consumed, consuming

1. to undergo destruction; waste away.

2. to use or use up consumer goods.

consume British  

/ kənˈsjuːm /

verb

1. (tr) to eat or drink

2. (tr; often passive) to engross or obsess

3. (tr) to use up; expend

   my car consumes little oil

4. to destroy or be destroyed by burning, decomposition, etc

   fire consumed the forest

5. (tr) to waste or squander

   the time consumed on that project was excessive

6. (passive) to waste away

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Other Word Forms

• consuming adjective
• consumingly adverb
• half-consumed adjective
• overconsume verb
• preconsume verb (used with object)
• unconsumed adjective
• underconsume verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of consume

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French consumer, from Latin consūmere, from con- con- + sūmere “to take up” (equivalent to subs-, variant of sub- sub- + emere “to take, buy”; emptor ( def. ) )

Explanation

"The Freshman 15" describes freshman-year college students who gain about fifteen pounds because they consume way too much lousy dorm food all day long. To consume a cake is to eat it, the idea being that you ate the whole thing. To say a fire consumed a building is to say that the entire building was destroyed. Consume means to devour, to take in, to use up. The Unites States is often referred to as a consumer society because our economy is based on things being consumed. Whether it's gas, clothes, burgers, music, or anything that we use up as we purchase it, it's something that we consume. If we consume all the oil, there will be none left to burn.

Example Sentences

Future rates are a concern, given the proliferation of artificial-intelligence data centers and the loads of electricity they are forecast to consume.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

The thinking was that because most U.S.-born Latinos speak English and can consume a wide array of media, Spanish-language TV would recede in relevance.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

“With no resupply, refrigeration, or late-load capability, all meals must be carefully selected to remain safe, shelf-stable, and easy to prepare and consume in NASA’s Orion spacecraft.”

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026

Walker said it was not just people with vehicles being impacted because the rising prices were included in "everything that we deliver" and "everything that we consume".

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

If successfully erected, George B. Post’s Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building would be the largest building ever constructed and consume enough steel to build two Brooklyn Bridges.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Related Words

• absorb
• deplete
• devour
• dominate
• drain
• eat up
• employ
• exhaust
• expend
• obsess
• preoccupy
• spend
• waste