devour

devour

verb

Definition of DEVOUR

1

to destroy all trace of <a series of devastating storms devoured the beach on the south side of the island>

Synonyms devour, eat (up)

Related Words gut; deplete, drain, exhaust, expend, spend, use up; annihilate, decimate, demolish, desolate, devastate, do in, pulverize, raze, ruin, shatter, smash, tear down, waste, wreck; annihilate, blot out, eradicate, exterminate, extinguish, extirpate, obliterate, remove, rub out, stamp (out), wipe out

Near Antonyms conserve, preserve, protect, save; build, construct, erect, put up, raise

2

to make complete use of <a catastrophic medical event that devoured their savings>

Synonyms absorb, burn, consume, devour, drain, draw down, exhaust, expend, play out, spend, use up

Related Words abate, decrease, de-escalate, diminish, downsize, dwindle, lessen, lower, reduce; eat, use; bankrupt, clean (out), impoverish; cripple, debilitate, disable, enfeeble, sap, undermine, weaken; dry up, empty; blow, dissipate, fritter (away), guzzle, lavish, misspend, run through, squander, throw away, waste

Near Antonyms augment, enlarge, increase; bolster, enforce, fortify, reinforce (also reenforce), strengthen; rebuild, repair, restore, revive; conserve, preserve, save

Antonyms renew, replace

3

to swallow or eat greedily <the starving villagers simply devoured the relief food>

Synonyms bolt, cram, devour, glut [archaic], gorge, gormandize, gulp, ingurgitate, inhale, raven, scarf, scoff, slop, wolf

Related Words overeat, pig out, swill

Near Antonyms nibble, peck, pick