English Reference
Verb

devour

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /dɪˈvaʊɝ/ UK /dɪvˈaʊə/ de·vour UK spelling devoured, devouring, devours

v.to eat something very quickly because you are extremely hungry. You can also use it to describe reading a book or watching a show with great excitement.

v.to consume food hungrily or greedily; by extension, to enjoy a piece of media or information with intense enthusiasm. Transitive — requires a direct object.


SIMPLE

The hungry hikers devour their sandwiches in minutes.

CONTEXTUAL

She was so fascinated by the mystery novel that she managed to devour the entire book in one sitting.

COMPLEX

The wildfire continued to devour the dry brush, moving with a speed that outpaced the local fire department's ability to establish a containment line.

Usage

The verb is transitive and takes a direct object.

The fungus then slowly devours the ant, sprouting through its head in one final indignity.

Ars Technica· 6 Aug 2026

One poem, Not Poetry, translated by Uilleam Blacker, contains the lines, “But the reality of war / devours punctuation / plot structure / structure …” Poems were written at the front.

The Guardian· 10 Aug 2026

Inherited from Middle English devouren, from Old French devorer (Modern French dévorer), from Latin dēvorō, from vorō.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin dēvorō
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated