devour

verb

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de·vour | \ di-ˈvau̇(-ə)r

, dē- \

devoured; devouring; devours

Definition of devour

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

Other Words from devour Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about devour

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Synonyms for devour

Synonyms

consume,
eat (up)

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 If that doesn’t deter you, Intel promises more details will come soon, which should reveal how much cash Beast Canyon will devour and what kind of third-party support to expect from case makers and system builders this time around. — Alaina Yee, PCWorld, 31 May 2021 So, a new study of which apps devour the battery is very revealing. — David Phelan, Forbes, 26 May 2021 Jason Varitek, highlighters in hand, would devour a three-ring binder of information in advance of a game. — BostonGlobe.com, 18 Mar. 2021 Baltimore spends a varying amount each year to cover the cracks and fill the holes that have been known to devour wheel rims, bumpers, scooters and bicycle frames. — Colin Campbell, baltimoresun.com, 21 Apr. 2021 For one week each year, revelers, creatives and tech entrepreneurs alike descend on the state’s capital to devour everything from speeches by artists and world leaders to heavy-metal gigs to new gadget reveals. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 19 Apr. 2021 Members of the Scorpaenidae family, these beautiful fish remained perfectly still suspended in the water column, brightly colored red-and-white spines deployed, large mouths poised to devour prey. — John Christopher Fine, sun-sentinel.com, 9 Apr. 2021 If nothing changes, this doomsday machine will devour the country’s foreign exchange. — Jacques De Larosière And Steve H. Hanke, WSJ, 21 Apr. 2021 Some expert warn that rising sea levels could devour much of its vast coastal region, and cyclones and tidal surge destroy agriculture and livelihood for millions. — BostonGlobe.com, 10 Apr. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'devour.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.