to devour

Examples

• All

• When hungry, these bears devour large amounts of food rapidly.

  The Three Stooges (2012)

• Okay, we can devour the rest of this at my place.

  In Fidelity (2024)

• My grandmother will just, uh, completely devour these.

  In the Land of Women (2007)

• I'm gonna devour this thing.

  Storks (2016)

• On average, Americans devour about 142 pounds of it per year.

  Academic text (2000)

• On the lunch break, I sat at my table at Lindy's devouring a hot pastrami.

  Fiction book (1991)

• A famished soldier dips his hand in one of the bowls and devours its contents: some kind of stew.

  Fiction book (1992)

• The sheep bowed graciously and left, and we set about devouring our scrambled eggs, hot coffee, and buttered toast.

  Fiction book (2001)

• After a long hike, I couldn't wait to devour my sandwich and snack bar.

• The children sat on the picnic blanket, eager to devour the cake and cookies.

Synonyms

E

to eat

vsto devour

∞ 1.0

Put food or drink into your mouth, chew it and swallow it

is about doing that action quickly and eagerly rather than normally

C

to consume

vsto devour

149 2.4

To eat or drink something

is the more rapid eager form of that general intake action

D

to down

vsto devour

• Informal

22 5.4

Eat or drink something quickly and completely

is about eager quick eating rather than mere completeness

G

to gobble up

vsto devour

• Informal

19 3.0

To eat something quickly and eagerly

is about quick eager eating rather than other eating styles

G

to gobble

vsto devour

16 2.6

To eat food quickly and noisily without chewing properly

is similar but focuses on eagerness rather than noise

S

to suck down

vsto devour

• Informal

9 7.7

To drink or eat something very quickly, often without pausing

is eating quickly with eagerness rather than measured eating

W

to wolf down

vsto devour

• Informal

7 5.8

Eat food very quickly when you are very hungry

is similar but focuses on eating when extremely hungry

E

to eat up

vsto devour

5 2.8

Completely swallow something like land or light

is about quick eager eating rather than broad complete enclosure

P

to put away

vsto devour

• Informal

3 3.4

To eat a large amount of food quickly

is about eager quick eating not only quantity or ease

S

to stuff one's face

vsto devour

• Informal

3 8.2

To eat a lot of food very quickly

is about eager quick eating not only the messy greediness

T

to tuck in

vsto devour

• UK

2 4.0

To eat a lot of food eagerly

is about quick eager eating not only enthusiastic enjoyment

D

to demolish

vsto devour

• Informal

2 3.7

Eat all the food very quickly

is the same quick eager eating but stresses total consumption

S

to shovel in

vsto devour

• Informal

7.7

To eat a lot of food very fast without stopping

is about quick eager eating not just large quantity

Antonyms

F

to fast

58 4.6

To not eat or drink for a time

N

to nibble

56 2.0

To eat small, gentle bites slowly or a little at a time

How Hungry

to wolf down

• Informal

7 5.8

to devour

13 2.9

to gobble

16 2.6

to eat

∞ 1.0

to nibble

56 2.0

Surface Forms

Etymology