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

Lena Dunham sits behind a desk in the glassy, millennial-pink offices of a tech startup, monologuing away like someone who has just devoured all of Lean Inin a single sitting. — Judy Berman, Time, 6 Nov. 2026

According to Greek mythology, every nine years Athens had to send fourteen young people to the Minotaur’s labyrinth, in Crete, where they were devoured as sacrificial victims. — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026

Desire can be terrifying when your hormones kick in, and yet one can only dream of being devoured by Her Majesty, Taylor Russell. — Vulture Editors, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026

The sometimes-flippant enthusiasm with which people devour people’s real stories of loss can sting, Janus said. — Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 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