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
During a four-day jaunt to the United States in 1939, King George VI and his wife, Queen Elizabeth, devoured hot dogs and strawberry shortcake at the Hyde Park home of then-President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
—
Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
Catastrophic wildfires are not new for Chile, but this year’s stand out for how fast the flames spread, devouring an average of nearly 25 acres every minute.
—Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
Unlike earthworms, which enrich the soil, Asian Jumping Worms devour everything, stripping soil and damaging plant roots.
—Maria Braganini, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
In the wild, groundhogs feed on a variety of plants and some insects, but in gardens, groundhogs happily devour most vegetables, as well as fruit, bulbs, and tree bark.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for devour
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Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
Catastrophic wildfires are not new for Chile, but this year’s stand out for how fast the flames spread, devouring an average of nearly 25 acres every minute.
—Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
Unlike earthworms, which enrich the soil, Asian Jumping Worms devour everything, stripping soil and damaging plant roots.
—Maria Braganini, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
In the wild, groundhogs feed on a variety of plants and some insects, but in gardens, groundhogs happily devour most vegetables, as well as fruit, bulbs, and tree bark.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 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 1 May. 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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