consumes; consumed; consuming
1
: to eat or drink (something)
The dogs consume [=eat] a bag of dog food each week.
They consumed [=drank] a lot of beer at the party.
—sometimes used figurativelyHe consumes [=devours] 10 novels a month.
2
: to use (fuel, time, resources, etc.)
The new lights consume less electricity.
She's making an effort to live more simply and consume less.
Most of our time was consumed [=taken up] by the search.
The car repair consumed [=used up] his entire paycheck.
3
: to destroy (something) with fire
Hundreds of books were consumed in the fire.
Fire consumed the building.
4
: to take all of a person's attention, energy, time, etc.
Work on the project has consumed his attention for many months. = Work on the project has consumed him.
—usually used as (be) consumedThe movie tells the story of a woman consumed by ambition/hatred.
He was consumed with/by jealousy.
Cite this Entry
“Consume.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/consume. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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