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”; cf. 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

For so long, gendered eating has dictated what women can and can’t consume.

From Salon • May 17, 2026

China will consume less oil this year than last year.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

Now instead of allowing prices alone to curb demand, Modi has turned to moral persuasion - asking Indians to voluntarily consume less in the national interest.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

Once drywood termites consume the treated wood, the compound can move through the colony as termites interact.

From Science Daily • May 9, 2026

Only the rainwater and the food provided at the Cornucopia are safe to consume.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

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