consume

American  

[kuhn-soom] / kənˈsum /

verb (used with object)

• consumes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• consumed,
  past participle,  past
• consuming
  present participle

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)

• consumes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• consumed,
  past participle,  past
• consuming
  present participle

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Participles

• consuming
  present
• consumed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• consume
  simple
• consumes
  simple
• have consumed
  perfect
• has consumed
  perfect
• am consuming
  progressive
• are consuming
  progressive
• is consuming
  progressive
• have been consuming
  perfect progressive
• has been consuming
  perfect progressive

Past

• consumed
  simple
• had consumed
  perfect
• was consuming
  progressive
• were consuming
  progressive
• had been consuming
  perfect progressive

Future

• will consume
  simple
• will have consumed
  perfect
• will be consuming
  progressive
• will have been consuming
  perfect progressive

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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. ))

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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

See Examples For:

consume consumes consumed consuming

As people consume more power, they are bumped into Tier 2, where electricity is more expensive, with the highest rates in Tier 3, which is only in effect from June through September.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

Although practical applications will require further development, this atomic-scale approach could eventually help researchers manage both vortex movement and heat flow in future superconducting technologies, potentially enabling more efficient devices that consume less power.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

Intermittent fasting is a way of eating whereby you only consume food during certain windows of time.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

"So I think the costs of a healthy diet, which means an increased cost on legumes, on vegetables, on meat, is just having a big impact on what people can afford to consume."

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

My eyes open wide as they consume me, the wonder of it so enthralling that I barely register the pain until it’s too late.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

The United States consumes 3.9 million barrels of diesel per day.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

Research in the US suggests a typical data centre consumes around 300,000 gallons of water a day, or about as much as 1,000 US households.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

When a black hole actively consumes gas, it can release tremendous amounts of energy and heat nearby material.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026

We spent the next several months building an AI tool that consumes content from across the digital world.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

“The painting attracts me, revolts me, consumes me.”

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

As one might expect, it found that lower-income households struggle to fund their retirement because their resources are consumed by child-care expenses, staples such as food and gas and housing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026

Participants who consumed blueberries regularly experienced a greater and more consistent reduction in depressive symptoms, along with subtle changes in genes associated with gut microbial enzymes.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026

Katja Hoyer’s “Weimar” is a powerful and detailed reconstruction of a “stark and terrifying example of a collapsed democracy” and how that collapse consumed the conscience of a particular city.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Every night as she fell asleep, Varsha would watch a stranger on the internet diarising what they'd consumed that day.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

“I have consumed too much for that. Your little blade will not hurt me. Dragon fire will not burn me. I am here, and the power is here, and it is mine.”

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Due to the small size of its prey, fin whales have to eat a lot to survive and can spend several hours each day feeding, consuming up to 2,000 kilograms of food.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

“Vegetarians can benefit from creatine supplementation because they’re not consuming the foods that have higher amounts of creatine, like red meat and salmon, which have 1-2 grams per pound.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

Firefighters were deployed to try to prevent the flames consuming the entire town hall.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

The first occurs early in the feeding process, when the black hole is consuming matter at an exceptionally high rate.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

The open trap was only a few feet ahead, but the fire was spreading fast, consuming the old wood and dry straw faster than she would have believed.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

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Related Words

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

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