consume

Academic Word List, sublist 2.

About 4.59 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. verb To use up.

   The power plant consumes 30 tons of coal per hour.

2. verb To eat.

   Baby birds consume their own weight in food each day.

3. verb To completely occupy the thoughts or attention of.

   Desire consumed him.

4. verb To destroy completely.

   The building was consumed by fire.

5. verb To waste away slowly.
6. verb To obtain and use goods or services as an individual.

   In a materialistic society, individuals are taught to consume, consume, consume.

7. verb To absorb information, especially through the mass media.

   The Internet has changed the way we consume news.

Similar words

eat up devour eat ingest exhaust use up deplete waste down wipe out

Often followed by

the a more it and them all in less

Word family

consumed consumer consumers consumes consuming consumption