devour

/di'vauə/

Definition

Verb (transitive):
- To eat something quickly and eagerly, often in large amounts: To consume food or prey in a greedy, ravenous, or voracious manner.
- To read, watch, or listen to something with great eagerness and enthusiasm: To absorb information or entertainment avidly and completely.
- To destroy or consume something completely, often by fire or a similar force: To engulf and obliterate.

Usage and Examples

Eating greedily:
- The hungry children devoured the pizza as soon as it arrived.
- The documentary showed a snake devouring its prey.
Consuming with the mind (reading/watching avidly):
- She devoured the entire book series in one weekend.
- He devoured every article he could find on the subject.
Being destroyed or consumed completely:
- The wildfire devoured thousands of acres of forest.
- Jealousy can devour a person from the inside.

Advanced Usage

To be devoured by [an emotion]: To be completely overwhelmed or consumed by a strong, often negative, feeling.
- He was devoured by guilt after the accident.
- She was devoured by curiosity about her family's past.

Variants and Related Words

Devourer (noun): One who or that which devours.
- The locust swarm was a relentless devourer of crops.
Devouring (adjective): Characterized by intense or consuming eagerness.
- She looked at the masterpiece with devouring eyes.

Synonyms

Phrasal Verbs / Common Collocations

Devour up: (Less common, similar to "gobble up") To consume completely and quickly.
- The rising floodwaters threatened to devour up the small village.

Idioms and Figurative Use

To devour with one's eyes: To look at someone or something with intense desire, curiosity, or admiration.
- The art students devoured the painting with their eyes, noting every brushstroke.
To have a devouring passion for something: To have an all-consuming, intense interest in something.
- He has a devouring passion for classical music.

Verb

eat greedily
- he devoured three sandwiches
eat immoderately
- Some people can down a pound of meat in the course of one meal
enjoy avidly
- She devoured his novels
destroy completely
- Fire had devoured our home

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