consume
verb
con·sume
| \ kən-ˈsüm
\
\
consumed;
consuming
Definition of consume
1
: to do away with completely : destroy
Fire consumed several buildings.
2a
: to spend wastefully : squander
consumed his inheritance on luxuries
b
: use up
Writing consumed much of his time.
3a
: to eat or drink especially in great quantity
consumed several bags of pretzels
b
: to enjoy avidly : devour
… mysteries, which she consumes for fun …— Eden Ross Lipson
4
: to engage fully : engross
consumed with curiosity
5
: to utilize as a customer
consume goods and services
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Examples of consume in a Sentence
The new lights consume less electricity.
She's making an effort to live more simply and consume less.
Hundreds of books were consumed in the fire.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Podcasts are especially popular with millennials, people ages 25 to 34, with one-third of the podcast listeners in that age group consuming at least five podcasts a week, according to research from Adobe Analytics. — Los Angeles Times, "Dawn Ostroff’s plan to turn Spotify into the ultimate podcast hub," 9 Sep. 2019 Berry said that was equivalent to the total amount of meth consumed in New Zealand over six months, and that the seizure had put a significant dent into supplies of the drug. — Washington Post, "New Zealand officials find half ton of meth hidden in motors," 6 Sep. 2019 Flames consumed the vessel within minutes, preventing the crew from effecting any rescue. — Scott Johnson, The Hollywood Reporter, "Hollywood Mourns Colleagues Lost in California Boat Fire," 6 Sep. 2019 Calls like this consume a lot of Post’s time these days. — Philip Elliott, Time, "How State Races Starting This Fall Will Shape Congress for the Next Decade," 5 Sep. 2019 In the United States today, however, college students often consume two or three times that amount. — Christina Capatides, CBS News, "From binge drinking to blacking out, the disturbing epidemic putting America's kids in danger," 5 Sep. 2019 People in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata consumed the most protein, and those in non-metros relied heavily on a fatty diet. — Manavi Kapur, Quartz India, "Nearly two-thirds of Indian executives are overweight—and that evening samosa is to blame," 4 Sep. 2019 But like most Americans, Alaska Native people consume less fiber than is ideal -- about 15g per day. — Anchorage Daily News, "Colon cancer in Alaska: Common and completely preventable," 3 Sep. 2019 Gracia plans to seek a pardon from the Mexican court system so her daughter can consume cannabis legally. — Amy Guthrie, BostonGlobe.com, "Mexican cannabis users eagerly await legal marijuana," 3 Sep. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'consume.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for consume
consume
verb
English Language Learners Definition of consume
: to eat or drink (something)
: to use (fuel, time, resources, etc.)
: to destroy (something) with fire
See the full definition for consume in the English Language Learners Dictionary
consume
verb
con·sume
| \ kən-ˈsüm
\
\
consumed;
consuming
Kids Definition of consume
1
: to destroy by or as if by fire
2
: to eat or drink up
3
: to use up
consume electricity Our entire day was consumed searching for his glasses.
4
: to take up the interest or attention of
Curiosity consumed the crowd.
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