ENGLISH
REFERENCE

consume

v.
B1 Intermediate Oxford US //kənˈsum// UK //kənsˈuːm// con·sume Academic Archaic General-service

v. to eat or drink something, or to use up a resource like time or energy. It can also mean to buy things as a customer.

v. to use up a resource, such as fuel, time, or energy; to ingest food or drink. In an economic context, it refers to the purchase and use of goods and services by households.


SIMPLE

The new heater will consume a lot of electricity.

CONTEXTUAL

Modern households consume significantly more digital data than they did a decade ago due to high-definition streaming services.

COMPLEX

While the primary goal of the project was to reduce waste, the administrative overhead required to manage the new system began to consume more resources than the initiative actually saved.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

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”).

Usage

The verb is transitive and requires a direct object. When used in the passive voice, it often describes being overwhelmed by an emotion (e.g., 'consumed by guilt').

Pitfall

The car consumes of much fuelThe car consumes much fuelConsume is a transitive verb and takes a direct object without a preposition.

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