consume

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verb con·sume \ kən-ˈsüm \

Definition of consume

consumed; consuming

transitive verb

1 :to do away with completely :destroy

Fire consumed several buildings.

2 a :to spend wastefully :squander

consumed his inheritance on luxuries

b :use up

Writing consumed much of his time.

3 a :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

intransitive verb

1 :to waste or burn away :perish

2 :to utilize economic goods

See consume defined for English-language learners

See consume defined for kids

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.

Recent Examples of consume from the Web

That’s less than a tenth of the amount of power consumed per capita in neighboring Thailand.

— kyaw thu, Bloomberg.com, "Total in Talks with Myanmar to Build Power Plant, Supply LNG," 20 July 2017
Zoospores usually survive a few days at most before they're consumed by microscopic predators, but Bsal creates a second, much hardier type of spore that has a sturdy cell wall and can survive in pond water for more than 2 months.

— erik stokstad, Science | AAAS, "A fungus is attacking Europe’s most beloved salamander. It could wreak havoc if it gets to North America," 19 July 2017
The average adult should consume between 20 to 35 grams of dietary fiber daily, and less than 5 percent of the U.S. population gets their daily fiber intake through diet alone.

— trihealth, Cincinnati.com, "Why health experts emphasize fiber," 17 July 2017
And the more coffee consumed, the greater the benefit.

— bradley j. fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Coffee drinkers live longer and have lower risk of disease, studies find," 10 July 2017
About 70 percent of the cocaine consumed in the United States passes through a corridor that runs up to the borders of Guatemala and El Salvador.

— ron nixon, New York Times, "Coast Guard Faces Challenges at Sea, and at the Budget Office," 4 July 2017
You’ve been consumed with travel and activities that have been building up your career in very positive ways.

— astro poets, Bon Appetit, "Run Outside, Because Your July Horoscopes Are Here with Ice Cream Truck Treats," 29 June 2017
Barone said several structures were at risk of being consumed by the flames, with several structure-protection crews dispatched along the perimeter of the fire.

— andy nguyen, Burbank Leader, "Brush fire breaks out in Burbank," 29 June 2017
Early on, he was consumed with learning the defensive playbook and the weekly game plan constructed by the coaches.

— jenny vrentas, The MMQB, "Bobby Wagner Can See into the Future," 29 June 2017

These 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.

Origin and Etymology of consume

Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French consumer, from Latin consumere, from com- + sumere to take up, take, from sub- up + emere to take — more at sub-, redeem

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First Known Use: 14th century

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