Word
devour
Phoneticsde·vour
US/dɪˈvaʊɝ/
UK/dɪvˈaʊə/
Definition
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.
Examples
“The hungry hikers devour their sandwiches in minutes.”
“She was so fascinated by the mystery novel that she managed to devour the entire book in one sitting.”
“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.”
Examples
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.
Real-World Examples
“The fungus then slowly devours the ant, sprouting through its head in one final indignity.” “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.” Etymology
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.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/devour