consume

verb

con·​sume kən-ˈsüm How to pronounce consume (audio)
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

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 on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The company has consistently consumed cash while struggling to scale production within the competitive semiconductor landscape. Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025 Close to 18% of people who regularly eat fruits reported better sleep, along with 12% of people who consume a lot of vegetables, and 13% of people who drink herbal tea. Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 1 July 2025 By 2030, data centers that power AI are projected to consume a whopping 612 terawatt-hours of energy per year – equivalent to what Canada consumes annually, according to research from Accenture. Matt Egan, CNN Money, 30 June 2025 If the state approves the expansion, East Windsor would end up with a total of more than 1,100 acres consumed for solar energy. Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 30 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for consume

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of consume was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Consume.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consume. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

consume

verb
con·​sume kən-ˈsüm How to pronounce consume (audio)
consumed; consuming
1
: to destroy by or as if by fire
2
: use up, spend
the search consumed most of our time
3
: to eat or drink up
consumed too much ice cream
4
: to take up the interest or attention of
was consumed with curiosity
5
: to use as a customer
consume goods
consumable
-ˈsü-mə-bəl
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on consume

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