devoured

past tense of devour
1
2
3
as in inhaled
to swallow or eat greedily the starving villagers simply devoured the relief food

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of devoured If the demons find out about her power, she will be devoured. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 Soon Drews noticed the speed with which her cheesecakes were devoured. — David Farley, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 Sep. 2026 Typically just a minute or two in length, the videos are devoured by Chinese audiences at breakfast, on their morning commutes, during their lunch breaks and on their free time after work — and almost any time in between. — Ling Wei, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026 Readers and critics devoured the book (no pun intended), but their responses often worry Brooks. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2026 Any food or flesh that crossed their paths was quickly devoured. — Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026 The British media devoured the story, as even then Day-Lewis was synonymous with intense devotion to his craft. — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026 Crabs tore through fishing nets, devoured mollusks at an alarming rate and edged out the native green crab, a local soft-shell specialty. — ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026 Only weeks ago, the most destructive wildfire in Spanish history devoured 500 square kilometers (193 square miles) and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people in Ávila, in central Spain. — Suman Naishadham, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devoured
Verb
  • Joe Biden tried to deprioritize the region—until Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel consumed much of Biden’s presidency.
    — Philip H. Gordon, Foreign Affairs, 12 Oct. 2026
  • But in more recent years, as state and national politics grew consumed by concerns over the cost of living, California Democrats have divided over whether and how much CEQA must be reformed.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Art of Play then shared another statement, explaining that Clark spent just five minutes in the store before taking off.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Having studied fashion and previously working as a stylist, Jouffret has spent the past eight years overseeing the costumes and characters that appear on-screen.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Delphi sits above a geologic vent, an X from which noxious gases escaped the earth, corrupting the minds of women who inhaled and pronounced their prophecies.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The chemical is highly corrosive, toxic when inhaled or touched, and flammable under specific concentrations.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The person with the least votes after each round is eliminated, with ballots reapportioned or exhausted until the winner clears 50%.
    — Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
  • In fact, even before the show actually starts, Bob can be exhausted, having been awake since some ridiculous hour.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • That public has continually widened its gullet and gulped.
    — Dan Greene, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
  • Many years had passed since Caity Maple, a Sacramento councilmember, gulped down orange juice.
    — Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 10 May 2026
Verb
  • Following a major eruption in 2018 that partly drained one of the underground lava reservoirs, there were indications that it was being steadily refilled.
    — John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Not only that, but the Strategic Petroleum Reserve has been aggressively drained to ease the energy shock.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The hotel is in a complex crammed with drinking and dining joints, like the Penthouse Bar & Grill on the 36th floor that offers panoramic views of the Thai capital.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • What followed was a filmography crammed with all the great leading men of her time.
    — Vogue, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Independent consultants, hired by the city, reviewed the plans and found the traffic expected to be generated can be absorbed by surrounding roadways with minimal impact to existing traffic, Latinovic said.
    — Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Add the flour, chocolate chunks and about three-quarters of the broken graham crackers and stir with a rubber spatula until combined and all the flour is absorbed.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Devoured.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devoured. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster