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 of devour

• 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

My son devoured his giant burger quesadilla, and the chilaquiles burger (chips, sauce and egg atop a burger patty) was messy, tasty fun. —Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2026

For Carston, watching her kids devour her kitchen creations is worth every spoonful. —Ryan Dennis, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026

It will be devoured by the 49ers Faithful’s malnourished soul that has craved another championship for 31 years. —Cam Inman, Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2026

This classic Southern snack will be one of the first dishes devoured at the supper. —Josh Miller, Southern Living, 1 Feb. 2026

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