What does "consume" mean?
To use up.
Consume
/kənˈsum/ verb
verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To use up.
- Grammar: consume is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: deplete, devour, eat, expend.
- Useful contrasts: agricultural produce, german produzieren, abstaining.
- Usage evidence: The economic strength of a country lies not alone in its ability to produce, but also in its capacity to consume.
How to use "consume"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "consume" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "consume" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "consume" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "consume" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "consume" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "deplete" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "consume", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To use up. transitive
"The power plant consumes 30 tons of coal per hour."
- 2 engage fully wordnet
- 3 To eat. transitive
"Baby birds consume their own weight in food each day."
- 4 serve oneself to, or consume regularly wordnet
- 5 To completely occupy the thoughts or attention of. transitive
"Desire consumed him."
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 use up (resources or materials) wordnet
- 7 To destroy completely. transitive
"The building was consumed by fire."
- 8 spend extravagantly wordnet
- 9 To waste away slowly. intransitive, obsolete
"Therefore, let Benedick, like cover'd fire, / Consume away in sighs."
- 10 eat up completely, as with great appetite wordnet
- 11 To trade money for good or services as an individual. intransitive, transitive
"In a materialistic society, individuals are taught to consume, consume, consume."
- 12 destroy completely by means of consumption wordnet
- 13 To absorb information, especially through the mass media. transitive
"The Internet has changed the way we consume news."
Antonyms
Example
"The economic strength of a country lies not alone in its ability to produce, but also in its capacity to consume."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "consume"?
Common synonyms include: deplete, devour, eat, expend, ingest, abate.
How do you use "consume" in a sentence?
The economic strength of a country lies not alone in its ability to produce, but also in its capacity to consume.
How do you pronounce "consume"?
Pronounced /kənˈsum/.
Etymology
From Middle English consumen, from Old French consumer, from Latin cōnsūmere, cōnsūmō, from con- (“with, together”) + sūmō (“take; consume”), from sub- + emō (“to buy, take”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- (“to take, distribute”), possibly related to the root *nem- (“to take or give one's due”).