eat

/it/

/it/

Other forms: eating; ate; eaten; eats

If you leave an antique flowerpot outside all winter, the snow and rain might eat the paint, making it look even older than it is.

You probably know that eat means "to consume food," because you do that several times a day. But we also use the verb eat for other situations involving using something up or wearing it down. If your art project eats up all your art supplies, that means you don't have any left. Leaving your car lights on will eat through your battery. Something eating away at us is worrying us. Don't let money stress eat away at your happiness.

Definitions of eat

1. verb

   take in solid food
   “She was eating a banana”

   “What did you eat for dinner last night?”

   synonyms:

   feed

   take in food; used of animals only

   types:

   wash down

   eat food accompanied by lots of liquid; also use metaphorically

   fress, gluttonise, gluttonize

   eat a lot and without restraint

   wolf, wolf down

   eat hastily

   slurp

   eat or drink noisily

   fare

   eat well

   dig in, pitch in

   eat heartily

   peck, peck at, pick at

   eat like a bird

   peck, pick up

   eat by pecking at, like a bird

   bolt, gobble

   eat hastily without proper chewing

   bolt down, garbage down, gobble up, shovel in

   eat a large amount of food quickly

   nibble, pick, piece

   eat intermittently; take small bites of

   ruminate

   chew the cuds

   dip, dunk

   dip into a liquid while eating

   devour, guttle, pig, raven, scarf

   eat greedily

   eat up, finish, polish off

   finish eating all the food on one's plate or on the table

   consume, devour, down, go through

   eat immoderately

   fill, fill up

   eat until one is sated

   put away, tuck away, tuck in

   eat up; usually refers to a considerable quantity of food

   type of:

   consume, have, ingest, take, take in

   serve oneself to, or consume regularly
2. verb

   take in food; used of animals only
   “This dog doesn't eat certain kinds of meat”

   “What do whales eat?”

   synonyms: feed

   types:

   forage

   wander and feed

   raven

   feed greedily

   suckle

   suck milk from the mother's breasts

   browse, crop, graze, pasture, range

   feed as in a meadow or pasture

   predate, prey, raven

   prey on or hunt for

   type of:

   consume, have, ingest, take, take in

   serve oneself to, or consume regularly
3. verb

   eat a meal; take a meal
   “We did not eat until 10 P.M. because there were so many phone calls”

   “I didn't eat yet, so I gladly accept your invitation”

   types:

   take away, take out

   buy and consume food from a restaurant or establishment that sells prepared food

   victual

   take in nourishment

   dine in, eat in

   eat at home

   dine out, eat out

   eat at a restaurant or at somebody else's home

   dine

   have supper; eat dinner

   picnic

   eat alfresco, in the open air

   break bread

   have a meal, usually with company

   nosh, snack

   eat a snack; eat lightly

   mess

   eat in a mess hall

   lunch

   take the midday meal

   brunch

   eat a meal in the late morning

   breakfast

   eat an early morning meal

   banquet, feast, junket

   partake in a feast or banquet

   binge, englut, engorge, glut, gorge, gormandise, gormandize, gourmandize, ingurgitate, overeat, overgorge, overindulge, pig out, satiate, scarf out, stuff

   overeat or eat immodestly; make a pig of oneself

   wash down

   eat food accompanied by lots of liquid; also use metaphorically

   fress, gluttonise, gluttonize

   eat a lot and without restraint

   wolf, wolf down

   eat hastily

   slurp

   eat or drink noisily

   fare

   eat well

   dig in, pitch in

   eat heartily

   peck, peck at, pick at

   eat like a bird

   peck, pick up

   eat by pecking at, like a bird

   bolt, gobble

   eat hastily without proper chewing

   bolt down, garbage down, gobble up, shovel in

   eat a large amount of food quickly

   nibble, pick, piece

   eat intermittently; take small bites of

   ruminate

   chew the cuds

   browse, graze

   eat lightly, try different dishes

   dip, dunk

   dip into a liquid while eating

   wine and dine

   eat sumptuously

   devour, guttle, pig, raven, scarf

   eat greedily

   eat up, finish, polish off

   finish eating all the food on one's plate or on the table

   consume, devour, down, go through

   eat immoderately

   fill, fill up

   eat until one is sated

   type of:

   consume, have, ingest, take, take in

   serve oneself to, or consume regularly
4. verb

   use up (resources or materials)
   synonyms: consume, deplete, eat up, exhaust, run through, use up, wipe out

   occupy, take, use up

   require (time or space)

   types:

   run out

   exhaust the supply of

   drain

   deplete of resources

   indulge, luxuriate

   enjoy to excess

   burn, burn off, burn up

   use up (energy)

   spend

   spend completely

   exhaust, play out, run down, sap, tire

   deplete

   surfeit

   indulge (one's appetite) to satiety

   overspend

   spend more than available of (a budget)

   underspend

   spend less than the whole of (a budget, for example)

   type of:

   drop, expend, spend

   pay out
5. verb

   cause to deteriorate due to the action of water, air, or an acid
   synonyms: corrode, rust

   corrode, rust

   become destroyed by water, air, or a corrosive such as an acid

   type of:

   damage

   inflict damage upon
6. verb

   worry or cause anxiety in a persistent way
   “What's eating you?”

   synonyms: eat on

   type of:

   vex, worry

   disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress