devour
verb (used with object)
to swallow or eat up hungrily, voraciously, or ravenously.
was devouring
-
past progressiveof devour.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Steve’s pursuit of perfection was devouring the timeline,” Mr. Cain writes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2026
China’s growing sci-fi fandom was devouring translated works from abroad, but few people abroad were reading Chinese stories.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 28, 2024
Because at that age, I was devouring Christopher Pike books, which were these murderous teen stories, and somehow that was OK, you're right.
From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2023
By his late teens, Campbell was devouring John Steinbeck’s novels, Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road,” the works of Graham Greene and Albert Camus, even Jean Cocteau.
From Washington Post ● May 18, 2022
But at the same time that he devoured Paley and theology, Charles was devouring natural history and collecting specimens, especially beetles.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
