consummate

¹con·sum·mate

adjective \ˈkän(t)-sə-mət, kən-ˈsə-mət\

Definition of CONSUMMATE

1

: complete in every detail : perfect

2

: extremely skilled and accomplished <a consummate liar> <a consummate professional>

3

: of the highest degree <consummate skill> <consummate cruelty>

— con·sum·mate·ly adverb

Examples of CONSUMMATE

1. He plays the piano with consummate skill.
2. <consummate cabinetmakers, they produced desks and chests of drawers that are now regarded as masterpieces of American furniture>
3. “How dare you!” Natalie screamed, in consummate frustration … —Joseph Wambaugh, The Black Marble, l978
4. … Berg, the consummate schmoozer, was the perfect spy for the job. —Dick Teresi, New York Times Book Review, 24 July 1994
5. To thrive in science, you must be both a consummate collaborator and a relentless competitor. —Natalie Angier, New York Times Book Review, 6 Nov. 1988
6. The rest of his life (he lived for a few more years) was one great consummate silence. —R. K. Narayan, “Under the Banyan Tree,” in The Story and Its Writer, edited by Ann Charters, 1987

Origin of CONSUMMATE

Middle English consummat fulfilled, from Latin consummatus, past participle of consummare to sum up, finish, from com- + summa sum

First Known Use: 1527

Related to CONSUMMATE

Synonyms

accomplished, ace, adept, compleat, complete, proficient, crack, crackerjack, educated, experienced, expert, good, great, master, masterful, masterly, practiced (also practised), professed, skilled, skillful, versed, veteran, virtuoso

Antonyms

amateur, amateurish, inexperienced, inexpert, jackleg, unprofessional, unseasoned, unskilled, unskillful

Related Words

adroit, clever, deft, dexterous (also dextrous), handy, slick, sure-handed; gifted, talented; polished, refined; effective, effectual, efficient, workmanlike; able, capable, competent, employable, fit, fitted, habile, qualified; educated, knowledgeable, schooled, taught, trained, tutored; all-around (also all-round), well-rounded; long-term, old; multiskilled, multitalented

Near Antonyms

incapable, incompetent, inept, unable, unfit, unfitted, unqualified, weak; artless, crude, rude; ineffective, ineffectual, inefficient; talentless, ungifted, untalented; ignorant, unschooled, untaught, untrained, untutored; beginning, green, inexperienced, new, raw, unseasoned, untested, untried, would-be; primitive, rough, unpolished; awkward, clumsy, ham-fisted, ham-handed, heavy-handed

²con·sum·mate

verb \ˈkän(t)-sə-ˌmāt\

con·sum·mat·edcon·sum·mat·ing

Definition of CONSUMMATE

transitive verb

1

a : finish, complete <consummate a business deal>

b : to make perfect

c : achieve

2

: to make (marital union) complete by sexual intercourse <consummate a marriage>

intransitive verb

: to become perfected

— con·sum·ma·tive \ˈkän(t)-sə-ˌmā-tiv, kən-ˈsə-mə-tiv\ adjective

— con·sum·ma·tor \ˈkän(t)-sə-ˌmāt-ər\ noun

Examples of CONSUMMATE

1. The bargaining process went on for a few days, but the deal was never consummated.
2. Their happiness was consummated when their son was born.
3. In part she had loved him for that, loved the tender understanding with which he had acquiesced to her wish not to consummate their relationship out of wedlock. —Dorothy West, The Wedding, 1995
4. Once the sale was consummated, a thorough housecleaning took place in the advertising department … —Brendan Gill, New York Times Book Review, 4 Oct. 1987
5. By prolonging the suspense and terror, he was needlessly delaying the reconciliation he himself was yearning so dearly to consummate. —Joseph Heller, God Knows, 1984

Origin of CONSUMMATE

(see ¹consummate)

First Known Use: 1530

Related to CONSUMMATE

Synonyms

complete, finish, finalize, perfect, polish

Related Words

follow through (with), stick out; accomplish, achieve, effect; carry out, carry through, discharge, do, execute, fulfill (or fulfil), perform; ameliorate, amend, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate; machine, refine, round (off or out), shine, touch up

Near Antonyms

abandon, desert, discontinue, drop, forsake, quit

Rhymes with CONSUMMATE

abdicate, abnegate, abrogate, acclimate, acerbate, acetate, activate, actuate, acylate, adsorbate, advocate, adulate, adumbrate, aggravate, aggregate, agitate, allocate, altercate, ambulate, amputate, animate, annotate, annulate, antedate, antiquate, apartheid, apostate, approbate, arbitrate, arcuate, arrogate, aspirate, auscultate, automate, aviate, bantamweight, Bering Strait, bifurcate, billingsgate, bipinnate, boilerplate, bombinate, brachiate, buffer state, cabinmate, cachinnate, calculate, calibrate, caliphate, candidate, cannulate, cantillate, capitate, captivate, carbonate, carbon-date, carinate, carload rate, castigate, catenate, cavitate, celebrate, cerebrate, chlorinate, circinate, circulate, city-state, client state, cogitate, colligate, collimate, collocate, commentate, commutate, compensate, complicate, concentrate, condensate, confiscate, conglobate, conjugate, consecrate, constellate, consternate, constipate, contemplate, copperplate, copulate, coronate, correlate, corrugate, coruscate, counterweight, crepitate, criminate, cruciate, cucullate, culminate, cultivate, cumulate, cuneate, cupulate, cuspidate, cyclamate, Davis Strait, deaerate, decimate, decollate, decorate, decussate, defalcate, defecate, deflagrate, dehydrate, delegate, demarcate, demonstrate, denigrate, Denmark Strait, depilate, deviate, deprecate, depredate, derivate, derogate, desecrate, desiccate, designate, desolate, desquamate, detonate, devastate, deviate, digitate, diplomate, discarnate, dislocate, dissertate, dissipate, distillate, divagate, dominate, double date, edentate, educate, elevate, elongate, eluate, emanate, emigrate, emirate, emulate, enervate, ephorate, escalate, estimate, estivate, excavate, exchange rate, exculpate, execrate, expiate, explicate, expurgate, exsiccate, extirpate, extricate, exudate, fabricate, fascinate, fashion plate, featherweight, fecundate, federate, fenestrate, festinate, fibrillate, first estate, flagellate, flocculate, fluctuate, fluoridate, foliate, formulate, fornicate, fourth estate, fractionate, fragmentate, fulminate, fumigate, fustigate, geminate, generate, germinate, glaciate, Golden Gate, graduate, granulate, gratulate, gravitate, heavyweight, hebetate, herniate, hesitate, hibernate, Hudson Strait, hundredweight, hyphenate, ideate, imamate, imbricate, imitate, immigrate, immolate, impetrate, implicate, imprecate, impregnate, incarnate, increate, incubate, inculcate, inculpate, incurvate, indagate, indicate, indurate, infiltrate, in-line skate, in-migrate, innervate, innovate, insensate, inspissate, instigate, insulate, interstate, intestate, intimate, intonate, intraplate, inundate, invocate, iodate, irrigate, irritate, isolate, iterate, jubilate, juniorate, lacerate, laminate, Latinate, laureate, legislate, levigate, levitate, liberate, license plate, liquidate, litigate, littermate, lubricate, macerate, machinate, magistrate, marginate, margravate, marinate, masticate, masturbate, maturate, mediate, medicate, meditate, meliorate, menstruate, microstate, micturate, middleweight, militate, mithridate, mitigate, moderate, modulate, motivate, multistate, mutilate, nation-state, nauseate, navigate, neonate, nictitate, niobate, nominate, numerate, obfuscate, objurgate, obligate, obovate, obviate, on a plate, operate, opiate, orchestrate, ordinate, oscillate, osculate, out-migrate, out-of-date, overstate, overweight, ovulate, paginate, palliate, palpitate, paperweight, patinate, peculate, penetrate, pennyweight, percolate, perennate, perforate, permeate, perpetrate, personate, police state, pollinate, populate, postulate, potentate, predicate, procreate, profligate, promulgate, propagate, prorogate, pullulate, pulmonate, punctuate, quantitate, rabbinate, radiate, real estate, recreate, re-create, reinstate, relegate, relocate, remonstrate, renovate, replicate, reprobate, resonate, retardate, retranslate, roller-skate, roseate, rubricate, ruinate, ruminate, runagate, running mate, rusticate, sagittate, salivate, sanitate, satiate, saturate, scintillate, second-rate, segregate, self-portrait, separate, sequestrate, seriate, sibilate, silver plate, simulate, sinuate, situate, speculate, spoliate, stablemate, starting gate, steady state, stimulate, stipulate, strangulate, stridulate, stylobate, subjugate, sublimate, subrogate, subulate, suffocate, sultanate, Sunda Strait, supplicate, surrogate, syncopate, syndicate, tablemate, tabulate, target date, terminate, tessellate, tête-à-tête, thirty-eight, titillate, titivate, tolerate, transmigrate, transudate, tribulate, tribunate, trifurcate, trilobate, tripinnate, triplicate, tunicate, turbinate, ulcerate, ululate, umbellate, uncinate, underrate, understate, underweight, undulate, ungulate, urinate, vaccinate, vacillate, validate, valuate, variate, vegetate, venerate, ventilate, vertebrate, vicarate, vindicate, violate, vitiate, water gate, Watergate, welfare state, welterweight