devour

verb

de·​vour di-ˈvau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce devour (audio)
dē-
devoured; devouring; devours
Synonyms of devour

transitive verb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These sprawling facilities devour an enormous amount of power, require heaps of water to keep cool, and generate tons of noise, on top of being an eyesore that requires hundreds of acres of land be flattened. Frank Landymore, Futurism, 2 July 2026 Everyone will devour these miniature buttery rolls stuffed with homemade shrimp salad. Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 1 July 2026 On Tuesday, El Tri played with an intensity that devoured Ecuador from the onset and increased the belief among Mexicans that this team could make history. Jack Lang, New York Times, 1 July 2026 Near the Colorado-Utah border, several fires merged to devour more than 30,000 acres and counting in the Snyder Fire. Chierstin Roth, CBS News, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for devour

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French devour-, stem of devorer, from Latin devorare, from de- + vorare to devour — more at voracious

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of devour was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Devour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devour. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

devour

verb
de·​vour di-ˈvau̇(ə)r How to pronounce devour (audio)
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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