devour
verb
de·vour di-ˈvau̇(-ə)r 
dē-
devoured; devouring; devours
transitive verb
1
: to eat up greedily or ravenously
devoured the turkey and mashed potatoes
2
: to use up or destroy as if by eating
We are devouring the world's resources.
3
: to prey upon
devoured by guilt
4
: to enjoy avidly
devours books
devourer noun
Synonyms
- consume
- eat (up)
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
He devoured everything on his plate. The lions devoured their prey. She devoured every golf magazine she could find. He watched intently, devouring the scene before him with his eyes.
Recent Examples on the Web Most blockchains, including bitcoin’s, devour large amounts of energy, sparking criticism from some investors and environmentalists. 
Reuters, NBC News, 9 Sep. 2022 At about a 40% tax rate, that will devour almost $1,000 of the bond’s return. Jason Zweig, WSJ, 9 Sep. 2022 With so many leggy bachelors roaming around, females can afford to devour a few—so to avoid becoming a postcoital snack, male spiders must flee immediately after procreation. Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 25 Apr. 2022 Water improvements aside, data centers devour a lot of electricity. Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 July 2022 But the etymology also reflects a suspicion that interest allows the rich to devour the poor. Adam Rowe, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022 As macrophages, their role is to actively devour and destroy any invading microbes. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022 But this marsupial has places to be and pests to devour. Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 20 July 2022 These plump caterpillars get about four inches long and can devour all the leaves on a tomato plant in a single day, but are completely harmless to humans. Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 June 2022 See More
Reuters, NBC News, 9 Sep. 2022 At about a 40% tax rate, that will devour almost $1,000 of the bond’s return. Jason Zweig, WSJ, 9 Sep. 2022 With so many leggy bachelors roaming around, females can afford to devour a few—so to avoid becoming a postcoital snack, male spiders must flee immediately after procreation. Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 25 Apr. 2022 Water improvements aside, data centers devour a lot of electricity. Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 July 2022 But the etymology also reflects a suspicion that interest allows the rich to devour the poor. Adam Rowe, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022 As macrophages, their role is to actively devour and destroy any invading microbes. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022 But this marsupial has places to be and pests to devour. Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 20 July 2022 These plump caterpillars get about four inches long and can devour all the leaves on a tomato plant in a single day, but are completely harmless to humans. Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French devour-, stem of devorer, from Latin devorare, from de- + vorare to devour — more at voracious
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
devour
verb
de·vour di-ˈvau̇r
devoured; devouring
1
: to eat up hungrily
2
: to take in eagerly by the senses or mind
He devoured the information.
3
: to destroy as if by eating
The buildings were devoured by flames.
devours
verb
1
as in consumes
to destroy all trace of a series of devastating storms devoured the beach on the south side of the island Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- consumes
- demolishes
- ruins
- devastates
- eradicates
- drains
- wrecks
- shatters
- depletes
- extinguishes
- decimates
- expends
- spends
- obliterates
- exhausts
- guts
- annihilates
- pulverizes
- exterminates
- wastes
- desolates
- eats (up)
- annihilates
- razes
- smashes
- removes
- uses up
- extirpates
- wipes out
- tears down
- blots out
- rubs out
- stamps (out)
- does in
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- protects
- preserves
- saves
- conserves
- builds
- raises
- constructs
- erects
- puts up
2
as in spends
to make complete use of a catastrophic medical event that devoured their savings Synonyms & Similar Words
- consumes
- spends
- drains
- exhausts
- absorbs
- eats
- reduces
- burns
- uses
- depletes
- expends
- empties
- decreases
- plays out
- wastes
- draws down
- uses up
- diminishes
- downsizes
- weakens
- lowers
- dwindles
- runs out of
- undermines
- impoverishes
- lessens
- bankrupts
- saps
- debilitates
- cripples
- disables
- abates
- blows
- enfeebles
- squanders
- lavishes
- dissipates
- guzzles
- de-escalates
- dries up
- runs through
- throws away
- cleans (out)
- misspends
- fritters (away)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- replaces
- increases
- renews
- enlarges
- augments
- enforces
- reinforces
- restores
- strengthens
- revives
- preserves
- bolsters
- repairs
- saves
- fortifies
- conserves
- rebuilds
- reenforces
3
as in inhales
to swallow or eat greedily the starving villagers simply devoured the relief food Synonyms & Similar Words
- inhales
- gulps
- crams
- gobbles
- scoffs
- scarfs
- wolfs
- ravens
- gorges
- slops
- gluts
- overeats
- bolts
- ingurgitates
- gormandizes
- swills
- pigs out
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- picks
- nibbles
- pecks