devour

verb

de·​vour di-ˈvau̇(-ə)r 

dē-

devoured; devouring; devours

transitive verb

1

: to eat up greedily or ravenously

devoured the turkey and mashed potatoes

2

: to use up or destroy as if by eating

We are devouring the world's resources.

3

: to prey upon

devoured by guilt

4

: to enjoy avidly

devours books

devourer noun

Synonyms

• consume

Examples of devour in a Sentence

He devoured everything on his plate.

The lions devoured their prey.

She devoured every golf magazine she could find.

He watched intently, devouring the scene before him with his eyes.

Recent Examples on the Web

By sunup,the water had devoured their home and took Betty, 84, and her sons: Gary, 60, and 54-year-old Doug West. —Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025

There are mentions of past destruction, as Galactus is said to have devoured five planets, wiping out entire civilizations in the process. —Jordana Comiter, People.com, 29 July 2025

This quad of superheroes has been protecting New York City and the globe from threats for years, until one day a new threat rears its ugly head in the form of the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) who heralds the coming of Galactus (Ralph Ineson), a celestial entity known to devour planets. —Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025

The wear and tear of a job that devours men in their 30s. —Arkansas Online, 24 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French devour-, stem of devorer, from Latin devorare, from de- + vorare to devour — more at voracious

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for devour

• bower
• cower
• dour
• flour
• flower
• fower
• glower
• hour
• our
• power
• scour
• shower

Kids Definition

devour

verb

de·​vour di-ˈvau̇(ə)r 

1

: to eat up greedily or hungrily

devoured everything on his plate

2

: to use up or destroy as if by eating

fire devoured the barn

3

: to enjoy eagerly

devour a book