devour
verb
de·vour
di-ˈvau̇(-ə)r 
dē-
devoured; devouring; devours
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
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
From her experience, the grasshopper drawing attention in Arizona devours everything in its path, whereas the chapulín is tied to greener environments and specific crops, such as cornfields, alfalfa, and squash leaves.
—
Nadia Cantú, AZCentral.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Astronomers have used the XRISM (X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) X-ray spacecraft to discover that a star is being slowly devoured by an elusive stellar companion, solving a mystery that has baffled scientists for over a century.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Rents had finally stopped devouring their paychecks, wages were rising faster than their housing costs, and a generation that had long trailed older Americans in spending growth was starting to actually open its wallet — on restaurants, new clothes, electronics, even travel.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
Born Carlos Ray Norris on March 10, 1940, in Ryan, Oklahoma, Norris devoured the movies of John Wayne growing up.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for devour
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.
Nadia Cantú, AZCentral.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Astronomers have used the XRISM (X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) X-ray spacecraft to discover that a star is being slowly devoured by an elusive stellar companion, solving a mystery that has baffled scientists for over a century.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Rents had finally stopped devouring their paychecks, wages were rising faster than their housing costs, and a generation that had long trailed older Americans in spending growth was starting to actually open its wallet — on restaurants, new clothes, electronics, even travel.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
Born Carlos Ray Norris on March 10, 1940, in Ryan, Oklahoma, Norris devoured the movies of John Wayne growing up.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for devour
Cite this Entry
“Devour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devour. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
