devour
verb
de·vour
di-ˈvau̇(-ə)r 
dē-
devoured; devouring; devours
1
: to eat up greedily or ravenously
devoured the turkey and mashed potatoes
2
: to use up or destroy as if by eating
We are devouring the world's resources.
3
: to prey upon
devoured by guilt
4
: to enjoy avidly
devours books
devourer
noun
Examples of devour in a Sentence
He devoured everything on his plate.
The lions devoured their prey.
She devoured every golf magazine she could find.
He watched intently, devouring the scene before him with his eyes.
Recent Examples on the Web
Growing up in the Lowcountry, summertime meant peeling shrimp around the table and devouring watermelon in the backyard.
—
Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 9 June 2026
The flesh-eating virus that already is devouring college athletics is now taking a very serious bite out of common sense.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Like Muir, Lustmord’s Brian Williams creates harrowing, light-devouring music by digitally manipulating a vast library of sounds he’s collected via sampling and field recording.
—Brad Sanders, Pitchfork, 8 June 2026
When a fire tore through Kantamanto that January, devouring eight acres, or nearly 60 percent of the market’s retail-facing side, the community of 30,000 retailers, traders and vendors all but lost hope in a business model that was already buckling under fashion’s ever-quickening pace.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for devour
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Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 9 June 2026
The flesh-eating virus that already is devouring college athletics is now taking a very serious bite out of common sense.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Like Muir, Lustmord’s Brian Williams creates harrowing, light-devouring music by digitally manipulating a vast library of sounds he’s collected via sampling and field recording.
—Brad Sanders, Pitchfork, 8 June 2026
When a fire tore through Kantamanto that January, devouring eight acres, or nearly 60 percent of the market’s retail-facing side, the community of 30,000 retailers, traders and vendors all but lost hope in a business model that was already buckling under fashion’s ever-quickening pace.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for devour
Cite this Entry
“Devour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devour. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
devour
verb
de·vour
di-ˈvau̇(ə)r
1
: to eat up greedily or hungrily
devoured everything on his plate
2
: to use up or destroy as if by eating
fire devoured the barn
3
: to enjoy eagerly
devour a book
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