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Glite Dictionary
to eat at

to eat at

14 7.1
Gradually make someone feel worse or less confident
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : carcomer
  • The constant criticism began to eat at her self-esteem.

We will feel it and it will not take away from whatever existence we had before it started to eat at us.

Examples

  • It eats at me.

    The Laughing Policeman (1973)

  • And something is still eating at her.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • But it's still there, eating at you.

    Tamara (2005)

  • You know there is something eating at you when you feel sad, angry, or scared.

    Blog text (14)

  • But something is eating at me.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Depression eats at me day and night.

    Strange Wilderness (2008)

  • Things just start eating at your soul; you stop caring, yet you hate yourself for stopping.

    Blog text (18)

  • See uh, if something's eating at you, you gotta find a way to use it.

    Speak (2004)

  • The guilt had eaten at him for years, soothed only by the care and love he'd given his daughter.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • We're going to eat at my favorite restaurant, El Café Cabana.

    Guys and Dolls (1955)

Synonyms

to eat
vsto eat at
564 6.6

Gradually use up money or fuel

applies more to inner feelings and resolve than to materials
to erode
vsto eat at
83 4.2

Gradually make someone's trust, belief, or support weaker over time

is more personal often affecting feelings and resolve
to eat away at
vsto eat at
  • Informal
25 4.4

To damage something slowly over time, for example a building or a person's confidence

is used mainly for feelings and inner strength rather than broad subjects
to gnaw
vsto eat at
18 4.9

Gradually make someone feel worried or less confident

is focused on emotional weakening rather than general decline
to eat away
vsto eat at
17 4.1

Slowly damages metal, rock and someone's confidence by chemicals or steady pressure

is mainly emotional or psychological weakening rather than physical erosion
to gnaw at
vsto eat at
7 6.1

To make someone feel worried or less confident for a long time

is broader and can harm other states beyond emotions
to wear away
vsto eat at
2 3.8

To slowly remove material by rubbing or long use

is centered on internal emotional damage, not physical abrasion
to eat into
vsto eat at
2 6.8

To make someone feel more and more upset or angry inside

is more general meaning slow damage to feelings or resolve
to eat on
vsto eat at
  • Informal
9.1

To worry someone for a long time

is broader covering many kinds of slow damage not only worry

Antonyms

to support
∞ 1.0

Give help to a person or idea

to strengthen
327 3.0

To make muscles, relationships, or groups stronger

How Damaging

to destroy
∞ 1.0
to eat at
  • Informal
14 7.1
to undermine
270 6.8
to bother
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

eat at infinitive
ate at past
eaten at past participle
eating at present participle
eats at third person singular

Morphology

eat + at

The verb 'eat' can carry a non-literal sense of consuming or eroding, and the preposition 'at' marks the affected target, so the phrase 'eat at' metaphorically conveys something gradually wearing away someone or something. This is a metaphorical extension that a B1 learner who knows both words could probably infer the general idea but not the full idiomatic nuance, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Eat at comes from the picture of bugs or rust slowly eating at the edge of wood or metal, making a small hole over time. So, eat at now means 'to slowly damage or weaken something, or to worry someone bit by bit'.