consume
verb
con·sume kən-ˈsüm 
consumed; consuming
transitive verb
1
: to do away with completely : destroy
Fire consumed several buildings.
2
a
: to spend wastefully : squander
consumed his inheritance on luxuries
b
: use up
Writing consumed much of his time.
3
a
: to eat or drink especially in great quantity
consumed several bags of pretzels
b
: to enjoy avidly : devour
… mysteries, which she consumes for fun …
Eden Ross Lipson
Eden Ross Lipson4
: to engage fully : engross
consumed with curiosity
5
: to utilize as a customer
consume goods and services
intransitive verb
1
: to waste or burn away : perish
2
: to utilize economic goods
Synonyms
- devour
- eat (up)
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
The new lights consume less electricity. She's making an effort to live more simply and consume less. Hundreds of books were consumed in the fire.
Recent Examples on the Web Many of the goods Americans consume, such as cars, televisions and prescription drugs, are imported from all corners of the world. Christopher Decker, The Conversation, 1 Aug. 2022 Peanut butter, for example, contains all three, but some also are quite high in sugar, which keto devotees should only consume in moderation. Emily Laurence, Good Housekeeping, 27 June 2022 But those who know better compare them to inland seas, for the Great Lakes are powerful and capricious, delighted to toss and consume vessels. Luther Ray Abel, National Review, 28 Aug. 2022 Rangelands across the West, too, are seeing the effects of warming, particularly as drought and fire consume millions of acres annually. Daniel Cusick, Scientific American, 24 Aug. 2022 Who doesn't want to watch a huge, Brobdingnagian rocket consume millions of kilograms of fuel and break the surly bonds of Earth's gravity? Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 23 Aug. 2022 Many people rely on text to speech to consume content as diverse as social media, the news, textbooks, novels and magazines. Q.ai - Powering A Personal Wealth Movement, Forbes, 9 Aug. 2022 Wilson had accidentally hatched a plan that would consume the rest of her summer. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2022 Property owner Jesse Lassley had previously filed the notice as a large mine that would eventually consume 400 acres of hillside over 100 years of operation. Brian Maffly, The Salt Lake Tribune, 29 July 2022 See More
Christopher Decker, The Conversation, 1 Aug. 2022 Peanut butter, for example, contains all three, but some also are quite high in sugar, which keto devotees should only consume in moderation. Emily Laurence, Good Housekeeping, 27 June 2022 But those who know better compare them to inland seas, for the Great Lakes are powerful and capricious, delighted to toss and consume vessels. Luther Ray Abel, National Review, 28 Aug. 2022 Rangelands across the West, too, are seeing the effects of warming, particularly as drought and fire consume millions of acres annually. Daniel Cusick, Scientific American, 24 Aug. 2022 Who doesn't want to watch a huge, Brobdingnagian rocket consume millions of kilograms of fuel and break the surly bonds of Earth's gravity? Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 23 Aug. 2022 Many people rely on text to speech to consume content as diverse as social media, the news, textbooks, novels and magazines. Q.ai - Powering A Personal Wealth Movement, Forbes, 9 Aug. 2022 Wilson had accidentally hatched a plan that would consume the rest of her summer. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2022 Property owner Jesse Lassley had previously filed the notice as a large mine that would eventually consume 400 acres of hillside over 100 years of operation. Brian Maffly, The Salt Lake Tribune, 29 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French consumer, from Latin consumere, from com- + sumere to take up, take, from sub- up + emere to take — more at sub-, redeem
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Kids Definition
consume
verb
con·sume kən-ˈsüm
consumed; consuming
1
: to destroy by or as if by fire
2
: to eat or drink up
3
: to use up
consume electricity
Our entire day was consumed searching for his glasses.
4
: to take up the interest or attention of
Curiosity consumed the crowd.
consumes
verb
1
as in devours
to destroy all trace of massive fires had consumed hundreds of square miles of forest Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- devours
- drains
- demolishes
- depletes
- devastates
- ruins
- eradicates
- shatters
- wrecks
- expends
- spends
- extinguishes
- exhausts
- wastes
- guts
- decimates
- eats (up)
- obliterates
- exterminates
- pulverizes
- annihilates
- uses up
- removes
- desolates
- smashes
- extirpates
- razes
- annihilates
- wipes out
- tears down
- blots out
- rubs out
- does in
- stamps (out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- protects
- saves
- conserves
- preserves
- builds
- raises
- constructs
- erects
- puts up
2
as in spends
to make complete use of the mining company consumed all of the local mineral resources and then moved on Synonyms & Similar Words
- spends
- drains
- exhausts
- absorbs
- reduces
- burns
- uses
- eats
- depletes
- devours
- expends
- wastes
- empties
- decreases
- plays out
- draws down
- uses up
- diminishes
- lowers
- runs out of
- downsizes
- weakens
- dwindles
- undermines
- saps
- impoverishes
- lessens
- debilitates
- cripples
- bankrupts
- disables
- dissipates
- abates
- squanders
- blows
- enfeebles
- guzzles
- lavishes
- de-escalates
- runs through
- dries up
- throws away
- cleans (out)
- misspends
- fritters (away)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- replaces
- increases
- renews
- augments
- enlarges
- enforces
- reinforces
- restores
- strengthens
- saves
- conserves
- revives
- preserves
- repairs
- bolsters
- fortifies
- rebuilds
- reenforces
3
as in eats
to take in as food hungry enough to consume most of the pie Synonyms & Similar Words
- eats
- devours
- ingests
- chews
- swallows
- licks
- digests
- puts away
- partakes (of)
- puts down
- tastes
- relishes
- savors
- tucks (away or in)
- gulps
- scoffs
- dines
- swills
- wolfs
- slops
- munches
- downs
- gorges
- feasts
- bolts
- banquets
- pigs out
- savours
- regales
- dispatches
- snacks
- laps
- gums
- gobbles (up or down)
- lunches
- fares
- sups
- snarfs (down)
- breakfasts
- mouths (down)
- picks (at)
- gnaws (at or on)
- chows (down on)
- nibbles (on)
- gluts (on)
- polishes off
- noshes
- nurses
- gormandizes