What does "consume" mean?

1. (to use resources) to use fuel, energy, or time. 2. (to eat or drink) to eat or drink something. 3. (to buy goods) to buy and use products or services. 4. (to fill with emotion) to have a feeling so strong that you cannot think about anything else. 5. (to destroy) to destroy something completely, usually by fire. 6. (to take in media) to read, watch, or listen to information and entertainment.

How do you use "consume"?

Often used in technical or environmental discussions regarding energy and resources. Commonly follows the pattern 'be consumed by/with [emotion]'.

consume

US //kənˈsum// UK //kənsˈuːm// con·sume

1 to use resources (v.)
B1 Intermediate Academic

to use fuel, energy, or time.

to exhaust or expend a resource, such as fuel, energy, or time. Transitive in most contexts.

Example

The old heater consumes a lot of electricity during the winter months.

Example

Modern industrial processes consume vast quantities of water, leading to concerns about local resource management and sustainability.

Usage

Often used in technical or environmental discussions regarding energy and resources.
- use up
- expend
- deplete
- save
- conserve
2 to eat or drink (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Formal

to eat or drink something.

to ingest food or drink. This sense carries a more formal or scientific register than 'eat'.

Example

You should not consume too much sugar if you want to stay healthy.

Example

The study monitored how much caffeine the participants consumed over a twenty-four-hour period to assess its impact on sleep quality.

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3 to buy goods (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Academic Economics

to buy and use products or services.

to purchase and utilize goods and services within an economy.

Example

People tend to consume more luxury goods when the economy is doing well.

Example

Economists analyze how households consume and save in response to fluctuating interest rates and tax incentives.
- purchase
- buy
- produce
4 to fill with emotion (v.)
C1 Advanced Literary

to have a feeling so strong that you cannot think about anything else.

to engross or obsess someone; to occupy a person's mind or interest completely. Often used in the passive voice.

Example

He was consumed by guilt after he lied to his best friend.

Example

She was so consumed by her research that she frequently forgot to eat or check her messages for days at a time.

Usage

Commonly follows the pattern 'be consumed by/with [emotion]'.
- obsess
- engross
- absorb
5 to destroy (v.)
C1 Advanced Literary

to destroy something completely, usually by fire.

to destroy or do away with completely, typically through the action of fire or natural forces.

Example

The forest fire consumed thousands of trees in just a few hours.

Example

The flames quickly consumed the abandoned warehouse, leaving nothing but a charred skeletal frame by the time the crews arrived.
- create
- build
6 to take in media (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Computing

to read, watch, or listen to information and entertainment.

to absorb or take in information, especially through digital media or news outlets.

Example

Many young people consume news through social media rather than television.

Example

The way we consume digital content has shifted toward short-form video, significantly altering the advertising landscape.
- create
- publish

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”).

Word family

Verbconsume
Nounconsumer