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Glite Dictionary
💰 To earn a lot 🍝 To eat quickly
to shovel in

to shovel in

7.7
To eat a lot of food very fast without stopping
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : devorar
  • Though he joined us with a well-timed phone call from Japan (we were all subdued and bloated as we shoveled in our last forkfuls of dessert), my son, for the first time in group picture history, was not present.
  • shoveling in food

Examples

  • You don't just shovel food in your mouth like it's...

    Lean on Pete (2018)

  • At the party, he just sat silently, shoveling in food as if he hadn't eaten all day.

  • During the family gathering, she shoveled in food quickly, barely taking a moment to breathe between bites.

  • After the long hike, they gathered around the table and started to shovel in food to replenish their energy.

Synonyms

to stuff
vsto shovel in
  • Informal
109 5.8

To eat a lot quickly until you feel too full

leans more to rapid greedy action rather than steady overeating
to dig in
vsto shovel in
  • Informal
21 1.9

To start eating eagerly, often at a shared meal

is quicker and shows more greedy hurried consumption rather than starting eagerness
to gobble up
vsto shovel in
  • Informal
19 3.0

To eat something quickly and eagerly

is more about sheer greedy quantity as well as speed
to scarf
vsto shovel in
  • Informal
14 5.0

To eat something quickly and greedily

is more about consuming very large amounts, not just speed
to devour
vsto shovel in
13 2.9

To eat food quickly because you are very hungry

leans more toward rapid greedy intake and larger quantity
to gorge
vsto shovel in
12 5.9

To eat a very large amount of food greedily

is faster and more focused on quick, messy intake
to pig out
vsto shovel in
  • Informal
7 7.5

Eat a very large amount of food without control

is quicker and more about hurried greedy eating rather than general excess
to wolf down
vsto shovel in
  • Informal
7 5.8

Eat food very quickly when you are very hungry

is more about greed and large quantity rather than hunger alone
to eat up
vsto shovel in
5 2.8

Completely swallow something like land or light

is specifically about rapid greedy food intake rather than general consuming
to eat like a pig
vsto shovel in
  • Offensive
5 7.8

To eat in a very messy and greedy way

is similar in greed but is faster and more forceful
to stuff one's face
vsto shovel in
  • Informal
3 8.2

To eat a lot of food very quickly

is slightly more about hurried swallowing than steady stuffing
to eat like a horse
vsto shovel in
  • Informal
3 4.9

To eat a very large amount of food

is about quick greedy action rather than habitual large amounts
to tuck in
vsto shovel in
  • UK
2 4.0

To eat a lot of food eagerly

is rougher and faster, focusing more on greed than pleasure
to demolish
vsto shovel in
  • Informal
2 3.7

Eat all the food very quickly

is more about greedy hurried eating than mere enthusiasm
to tuck away
vsto shovel in
  • UK
1 5.7

To eat a lot of food quickly while enjoying it

is more forceful and greed-driven than simple enthusiasm
to engorge
vsto shovel in
1 7.7

To eat a lot of food quickly without control

is quicker and emphasizes hurried greedy intake rather than fullness alone
to ingurgitate
vsto shovel in
  • Formal
1 9.9

To eat a lot of food very quickly

is less formal and focuses more on quick greedy action
to gluttonize
vsto shovel in
  • US
9.9

To eat too much food quickly and greedily

adds urgency and speed to the idea of overeating
to englut
vsto shovel in
  • Archaic
9.9

To eat too much food in a greedy way

is more about rapid hurried eating rather than just excess
to gourmandize
vsto shovel in
9.9

To eat too much in a greedy way

is quicker and emphasizes rapid consumption alongside greed
to scarf out
vsto shovel in
  • Informal
8.4

To eat a lot of food very quickly

is similar but stresses even faster, greedy swallowing
to bolt down
vsto shovel in
  • Informal
3.7

To eat or drink very quickly, often without chewing

adds a sense of greedy large amounts as well as speed
to fill one's face
vsto shovel in
  • UK
8.5

To eat a lot of food quickly

is more about hurried swallowing and speed than mere greediness

Antonyms

to nibble
56 2.0

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

to savor
  • US
4 3.9

To give food a certain taste with spices or herbs

How Fast

to gobble
16 2.6
to shovel in
  • Informal
7.7
to eat
∞ 1.0
to nibble
56 2.0

Surface Forms

shovel in infinitive
shoveled in past
shoveled in past participle
shoveling in present participle
shovels in third person singular

Morphology

shovel + in

The verb 'shovel' (to scoop or move material) plus the particle 'in' conveys a clear image of scooping something into a space, which can be metaphorically extended to scooping food into the mouth quickly. However, the specific eating/greedy nuance is a metaphorical extension that learners may not fully predict from the literal meanings without contextual exposure, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

The verb shovel in paints a simple image: using a big shovel to push food in to your mouth quickly and without care. So, it means 'to eat a large amount of food quickly and greedily'.