verb
consume
kuhn-SYOOM
verb
1
To eat or drink something.
"Adults should consume less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day."
2
To use up a resource such as time, energy, or fuel.
"The old refrigerator consumes far more electricity than a modern one."
3
To occupy someone's attention or emotions completely.
"Jealousy began to consume him after the promotion went to someone else."
4
To destroy something completely, especially by fire.
"Flames quickly consumed the abandoned warehouse."
How to Use Consume
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo eat, use up, or be completely absorbed by something.
Common pairings
consume energy
consume content
consumed by guilt
Word Forms
consumed past tense, consumes singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “consume”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
Adults should _____ less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day.
Etymology
From Old French consumer, from Latin consumere, "to use up," from con- ("with, together") + sumere ("to take").