eat
eet
Eat (verb) means to take food into the mouth and swallow it. Example: “They ate dinner together every night.”
verb
1
To take food into the mouth and swallow it.
"They ate dinner together every night."
"She was too nervous to eat before the interview."
"Please eat your vegetables before you have any pudding."
2
To use up or destroy something gradually.
"The constant repairs were eating into our savings faster than we had expected."
"Rust had eaten through the old car's frame."
"The rising rent was eating up most of her monthly wages."
3
To bother or trouble someone (informal, "what's eating you?").
"Something's clearly eating him today — he's been quiet all morning."
"What's eating Sam? He hasn't said a word all evening."
"Something was eating her, but she wouldn't tell us what."
How to use eat
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo consume food, or figuratively, to wear away at something or trouble someone.
Common pairings
eat breakfast
eat out
eat away at
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Word forms
- Plural
- eats
- Third person singular
- eats
- Past tense
- ate, et, eaten, etten
- Archaic forms
- eatest, atest, eateth
Fill the gap
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She was too nervous to _____ before the interview.
Etymology
From Old English etan, an ancient verb going back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to eat," shared across nearly all Germanic languages.
Related words
Rhymes for eat
See all rhymes for eat →Frequently asked questions
What does “eat” mean?
The word “eat” means to take food into the mouth and swallow it. In plain terms, to consume food, or figuratively, to wear away at something or trouble someone.
How do you pronounce “eat”?
“Eat” is pronounced eet (/it/ in IPA).
How do you use “eat” in a sentence?
Here is “eat” used in a sentence: “She was too nervous to eat before the interview.”
What is another word for “eat”?
Words with a similar meaning to “eat” include have and fret.
What part of speech is “eat”?
“Eat” is a verb.
Where does the word “eat” come from?
The word “eat” comes from Old English. From Old English etan, an ancient verb going back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to eat," shared across nearly all Germanic languages.
Is “eat” a common word?
“Eat” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “eat” have?
“Eat” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to take food into the mouth and swallow it.
What is the difference between eat and consume?
Eat is the plain, everyday word for taking in food. Consume is more formal and broader: you can consume food, drink, fuel, or resources, and it often appears in scientific, legal, or business contexts. When it comes to food the two mean the same thing, but eat is far more natural in speech.
What is the difference between eat and dine?
Eat is neutral and covers any food intake. Dine is more formal and usually means to eat a full meal, especially dinner, often in a social or restaurant setting. You eat a quick snack, but you dine at a fine restaurant. Dining carries a sense of occasion that plain eating does not.
What is the past tense of eat?
Eat is irregular. The simple past is "ate," as in "I ate breakfast," and the past participle is "eaten," as in "I have eaten." A frequent error is "have ate"; after has or have, the correct form is always eaten. The present forms are eat and eats.
What are some other words for eat?
Neutral options include consume and have. For hearty eating, try devour, gobble, or tuck into. For dainty eating, use nibble or pick at. More formal choices include dine. Each adds a shade of meaning about how much, how fast, or how formally the eating happens.
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