adj
Common
consuming
Consuming (adj) means taking up all of someone's attention, energy, or time. Example: “Her consuming ambition to win left little time for friends or sleep.”
adj
1
Taking up all of someone's attention, energy, or time.
"Her consuming ambition to win left little time for friends or sleep."
"Writing the novel became a consuming passion that filled his evenings and weekends."
"Grief became an all-consuming force in his daily life."
How to use consuming
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSo intense it takes over completely.
Common pairings
all-consuming
a consuming passion
consuming interest
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Word forms
- Plural
- consumings
- Comparative
- more consuming
- Superlative
- most consuming
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Can you complete this real example?
Her _____ ambition to win left little time for friends or sleep.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for consuming
See all rhymes for consuming →Frequently asked questions
What does “consuming” mean?
The word “consuming” means taking up all of someone's attention, energy, or time. In plain terms, so intense it takes over completely.
How do you use “consuming” in a sentence?
Here is “consuming” used in a sentence: “Grief became an all-consuming force in his daily life.”
What part of speech is “consuming”?
“Consuming” is an adjective.
Is “consuming” a common word?
“Consuming” is a fairly common word in modern English.
What is the difference between 'consuming' and 'all-consuming'?
Both describe something that dominates a person's attention, energy, or time. All-consuming is an intensified form that stresses total, overwhelming absorption, as in an all-consuming passion, while consuming alone can describe a strong but slightly less absolute preoccupation, as in a consuming interest.
What nouns commonly follow the adjective 'consuming'?
As an adjective, consuming often precedes words such as passion, interest, ambition, desire, obsession, and curiosity. In each case it means the feeling is so strong that it takes up most of a person's attention or energy.
What is the difference between 'consuming' as an adjective and 'consuming' as a verb?
As an adjective, consuming means all-absorbing, as in a consuming passion. As the -ing form of the verb consume, it means using up, eating, or drinking something, as in consuming resources or consuming a meal. Context and sentence position show which is meant.
Is 'consuming' a positive or negative word?
Consuming is largely neutral but leans intense: it can describe admirable dedication, such as a consuming passion for music, or an unhealthy fixation, such as a consuming jealousy. The surrounding words usually signal whether the absorption is seen as positive or negative.
