eat up

British  

verb

1. (also intr) to eat or consume entirely: often used as an exhortation to children

2. informal to listen to with enthusiasm or appreciation

   the audience ate up the speaker's every word

3. informal (often passive) to affect grossly

   she was eaten up by jealousy

4. informal to travel (a distance) quickly

   we just ate up the miles

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eat up Idioms  

1. Consume completely, as in No television until you eat up your dinner , or This quarter's expenses have eaten up all my spare cash . The literal use (first example) dates from the early 1500s, the figurative from the early 1600s.

2. Enjoy avidly, as in She simply eats up the publicity . [Late 1800s]

3. Believe unquestioningly, be gullible, as in He'll eat up whatever the broker tells him . [ Slang ; early 1900s]

4. Defeat completely, as in This new fighter just eats up every opponent . [ Slang ; c. 1830]

5. See eat out , def. 2.

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Example Sentences

Deadline's Pete Hammond said the film "falls short of giving any new insights", but said Jaafar Jackson "dazzles" in a film that fans would "eat up".

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

The dividend’s full-year cost of $2.84 a share looks solid, on pace to eat up only about 58% of Verizon’s estimated $4.89 in 2026 profits.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

A single elephant can eat up to 600 pounds of vegetation and drink more than 50 gallons of water in a day.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

The increase in 2026 will also eat up over a quarter of Social Security’s 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 27, 2026

Entertainment that won’t eat up my batteries is always worth bringing.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

Related Words

• swallow