Definition

Verb (past participle form of "eat"): - To have consumed food: "eaten" is the past participle of the verb "eat," used to indicate that food has been taken into the body through the mouth and swallowed. - To have been consumed or destroyed (figurative): "eaten" can also describe something that has been gradually worn away, corroded, or damaged by a chemical or natural process.

Usage Examples

• (She has consumed her midday meal.)
• (The cake was consumed by the children.)
• (The metal was gradually destroyed by corrosion.)
• (He had consumed an excessive amount of food.)

Advanced Usage

• "eaten up with": consumed or overwhelmed by a strong emotion.
  • He was eaten up with jealousy. (He was completely consumed by jealousy.)
• "eaten alive": to be bitten or attacked repeatedly by insects, or to be harshly criticized.
  • The campers were eaten alive by mosquitoes. (They were bitten many times by mosquitoes.)
  • The politician was eaten alive during the debate. (He was severely criticized.)

Variants and Related Words

• Eat (verb, base form): to consume food.
  • I eat breakfast every morning.
• Eats (verb, third person singular): he/she/it consumes food.
  • She eats only vegetables.
• Eating (verb, present participle): the act of consuming food.
  • He is eating dinner now.
• Uneaten (adjective): not consumed.
  • The uneaten food was thrown away.

Synonyms

• Consumed: taken in as food or drink.
• Devoured: eaten quickly and hungrily.
• Ingested: taken into the body through the mouth (formal).
• Corroded: gradually destroyed by chemical action (for figurative use).

Phrasal Verbs

• Eat away: to gradually destroy or erode.
  • The acid ate away the metal. (The acid gradually damaged the metal.)
• Eat up: to consume completely.
  • Eat up your vegetables before dessert. (Finish all your vegetables.)
• Eat into: to use or consume part of something, especially resources.
  • The high costs ate into our savings. (The costs reduced our savings.)

Related Idioms

• Eaten out of house and home: to consume so much food that it causes financial strain.
  • The teenagers have eaten us out of house and home. (They have eaten a huge amount of our food.)
• Eaten one's words: to be forced to retract a statement.
  • After the facts came out, he had to eat his words. (He had to admit he was wrong.)