consumed; consuming
1
: to do away with completely : destroy
Fire consumed several buildings.
2
3
a
: to eat or drink especially in great quantity
consumed several bags of pretzels
b
: to enjoy avidly : devour
… mysteries, which she consumes for fun …—
Eden Ross Lipson
Eden Ross Lipson4
: to engage fully : engross
consumed with curiosity
5
: to utilize as a customer
consume goods and services
Examples of consume in a Sentence
The new lights consume less electricity.
She's making an effort to live more simply and consume less.
Hundreds of books were consumed in the fire.
Recent Examples on the Web
Foods of symbolic significance are consumed, while prayers and traditional recitations are performed.
—Chris Sims, The Indianapolis Star, 22 Apr. 2024
Now they are believed to consume about 4 to 6 million skins a year.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 21 Apr. 2024
By 2026, the AI industry alone is expected to consume at least ten times its energy demand from just three years prior, the IEA report found.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 20 Apr. 2024
Bass, looking to beef up recruitment at the Los Angeles Police Department, negotiated a package of pay increases that’s expected to consume an extra $1 billion over four years.
—David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2024
With the fight over the 1864 ban expected to continue consuming the Arizona Capitol in the week ahead, politicians and activists are clear about the biblical roots of their convictions.
—Jack Healy, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024
The teen's lawyer, Clyde Bennett, said his client had unknowingly consumed drugs just before the attack and that the drugs prompted a change in his behavior.
—The Enquirer, 19 Apr. 2024
His bromance with fellow Summer House rookie Jesse Solomon and love connection with Miller have consumed most of his story lines, but West has had vulnerable moments onscreen too, opening up about his unemployment journey and sharing heartwarming relationship advice from his great aunt.
—Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2024
But once the war winds down, the United States should not return to the consuming daily grind of crisis management in the region that the George W. Bush administration embraced after 9/11.
—Steven Simon, Foreign Affairs, 9 Apr. 2024
Chris Sims, The Indianapolis Star, 22 Apr. 2024
Now they are believed to consume about 4 to 6 million skins a year.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 21 Apr. 2024
By 2026, the AI industry alone is expected to consume at least ten times its energy demand from just three years prior, the IEA report found.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 20 Apr. 2024
Bass, looking to beef up recruitment at the Los Angeles Police Department, negotiated a package of pay increases that’s expected to consume an extra $1 billion over four years.
—David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2024
With the fight over the 1864 ban expected to continue consuming the Arizona Capitol in the week ahead, politicians and activists are clear about the biblical roots of their convictions.
—Jack Healy, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024
The teen's lawyer, Clyde Bennett, said his client had unknowingly consumed drugs just before the attack and that the drugs prompted a change in his behavior.
—The Enquirer, 19 Apr. 2024
His bromance with fellow Summer House rookie Jesse Solomon and love connection with Miller have consumed most of his story lines, but West has had vulnerable moments onscreen too, opening up about his unemployment journey and sharing heartwarming relationship advice from his great aunt.
—Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2024
But once the war winds down, the United States should not return to the consuming daily grind of crisis management in the region that the George W. Bush administration embraced after 9/11.
—Steven Simon, Foreign Affairs, 9 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'consume.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near consume
Cite this Entry
“Consume.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consume. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
consume
verb
con·sume
kən-ˈsüm 
consumed; consuming
1
: to destroy by or as if by fire
3
: to eat or drink up
consumed a whole gallon of ice cream
4
: to take up the interest or attention of
was consumed with curiosity
5
: to use as a customer
consume goods and services
consumable
adjective
-ˈsü-mə-bəl
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