consume

CEFRB1

/kənˈsjuːm/

verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To use, eat, or drink something.

  2. 02

    verb

    To completely take up someone's attention or energy.

Examples

  • Heavy trucks consume a large amount of fuel on long trips.

  • Tropical rainforests produce oxygen and consume carbon dioxide.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • [kənˈs(j)ʉːm]
  • /kənˈs(j)uːm/

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings
  1. To completely occupy the thoughts or attention of.

  2. To use up.

  3. To destroy completely.

More examples

In context
  • Zeal for your house will consume me.

  • Baby birds consume their own weight in food each day.

  • The power plant consumes 30 tons of coal per hour.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

Many people blank large amounts of sugar every day without realizing it.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

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”).