to devour

Examples

• All

• Its expandable stomach allows the Komodo to devour up to 80% of its body weight in a single meal.

  11:14 (2003)

• Both are voracious insects that devour a wide range of plant-destroying insects.

  Academic text (1997)

• That thing will devour our crops for sure.

  Strange World (2022)

• It will attack and devour anything.

• These Outsiders will devour everything in their path.

  Mufasa: The Lion King (2024)

• And they were just devouring it and completely loving the product.

  Rich Roll

• For example, modern society devours a considerable amount of energy on a daily basis.

  Academic text (1992)

• In the process, however, it is creating a monster that threatens to devour Pakistani society.

  Academic text (2000)

• Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security outlays could devour our tax base even sooner.

  Academic text (2006)

• He devours anything that walks, flies, crawls.

  Jiu Jitsu (2020)

Synonyms

E

to eat

vsto devour

508 6.6

Gradually use up money or fuel

is more about rapid or eager consumption rather than slow, gradual use up

C

to consume

vsto devour

59 6.0

To destroy something completely, often by fire or disease

is about eating hungrily or quick energetic consumption rather than external destruction

F

to feast

vsto devour

39 3.6

To enjoy something very much with your senses, like a beautiful view

is more about quick, eager physical consumption rather than sensory gratification

G

to gobble up

vsto devour

• Informal

36 3.0

To eat something quickly and eagerly

is similar but also covers eager destruction or complete consumption generally

E

to eat up

vsto devour

• Informal

31 3.1

Use up money or time quickly

is focused on quick hungry eating but also applies to total consuming or destruction

G

to gorge

vsto devour

19 5.9

To eat a very large amount of food greedily

is more about rapid hungry consumption or complete destruction rather than only excess

W

to wolf

vsto devour

• Informal

8 6.1

To eat quickly and greedily

stresses both eagerness and complete consumption rather than just speed

W

to wolf down

vsto devour

• Informal

8 5.8

Eat food very quickly when you are very hungry

is used for quick hungry eating but also for consuming completely

S

to shovel in

vsto devour

• Informal

1 7.7

To eat a lot of food very fast without stopping

focuses also on eager or complete destruction, not only large quick intake

D

to demolish

vsto devour

• Informal

1 3.7

Eat all the food very quickly

is used in the same quick eating sense but applies broadly

I

to ingurgitate

vsto devour

• Formal

1 9.9

To eat a lot of food very quickly

focuses more on eagerness and speed, not just excessive quantity

P

to put away

vsto devour

• Informal

1 3.4

To eat a large amount of food quickly

is more about eager, often rapid consumption or complete destruction

R

to raven

vsto devour

• Archaic

1 9.0

To eat something quickly and greedily

focuses more on quick or complete consumption rather than only greediness

F

to fress

vsto devour

• Slang

1 9.9

To eat a lot of food quickly without control

includes greedy consumption but adds sense of eager complete use or destruction

S

to stuff one's face

vsto devour

• Informal

1 8.2

To eat a lot of food very quickly

emphasizes quick, eager consuming that can also mean total destruction

G

to gourmandize

vsto devour

1 9.9

To eat too much in a greedy way

is more about quick, eager consumption and complete use rather than indulgence

G

to guttle

vsto devour

• Archaic

9.9

To eat food quickly and greedily

is more about quick, eager complete eating rather than only overindulgence

E

to englut

vsto devour

• Archaic

9.9

To eat too much food in a greedy way

is more about eagerness to finish or destroy quickly rather than only excess

Antonyms

S

to savor

• US

1 3.9

To give food a certain taste with spices or herbs

How Completely

to annihilate

• NSFW

58 7.5

to destroy

∞ 1.0

to devour

92 3.9

to eat

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

Etymology