all-consuming
/ˌɔːl kənˈsjuːmɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌɔːl kənˈsuːmɪŋ/ (ame, ipa)
all-consuming — adjective
1. If a feeling, activity, or interest is all-consuming, it fills your mind complet
If a feeling, activity, or interest is all-consuming, it fills your mind completely and leaves little room for anything else in your life.
Mei-Lin's all-consuming passion for photography led her to travel across six continents.
collocation: all-consuming + passion / curiosity / love / task
An all-consuming curiosity about ancient ruins drove Kwame to study archaeology every evening.
attributive: all-consuming before a noun describing an emotion or interest
During the final exams, Yuki felt an all-consuming pressure to study from dawn until midnight.
Fatima's all-consuming love of music meant she practised the piano for hours each day.
- overpowering
focuses on emotional intensity rather than total absorption of time; an overpowering smell fills your senses, while an all-consuming project fills your schedule
- absorbing
milder and more positive; an absorbing book holds your attention briefly, but an all-consuming cause takes over your entire life
- obsessive
carries a negative clinical tone suggesting unhealthy fixation, whereas all-consuming can be neutral or even positive
- fleeting
describes something brief and temporary, the opposite of a sustained all-consuming state
- peripheral
describes something on the edge of one's awareness, not central or dominant
文法句型
all-consuming + noun (passion / curiosity / love / task)
用法筆記
Frequently used before abstract nouns describing strong emotions, intellectual interests, or demanding tasks. More common in written or descriptive English than in everyday casual conversation.