consume

/kənˈsjuːm/ (bre, ipa) · /kənˈsuːm/ (ame, ipa) · /kən-ˈsüm/ (ame, mw)

consume — verb

  • consumepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • consumeshe / she / it
  • consumedpast simple
  • consuming-ing form

1. to need and use a resource like petrol, electricity, or time, often in large amo

1.動詞及物B1
釋義

to need and use a resource like petrol, electricity, or time, often in large amounts — for instance, an old engine consuming a lot of diesel, or a complex project taking up most of a working week.

例句

Tuan's old car consumes a lot of petrol on long motorway journeys.

collocation: consume + fuel / energy

The new factory consumes far less energy than the building it replaced.

同義詞
  • use

    more general and less formal; does not imply using something up or in large quantity

  • use up

    emphasises that nothing is left after use; phrasal verb, more informal

  • expend

    more formal, often used of effort or resources in official contexts

  • devour

    much stronger; suggests rapid and complete consumption as if by hunger

反義詞
  • conserve

    to use something carefully to avoid wasting it

  • save

    to keep something for later use rather than using it now

文法句型

consume + noun (fuel, energy, time, materials)

用法筆記

Object is typically a measurable resource such as fuel, energy, time, or money. Less common with intangible items like 'effort' or 'attention.'

常見錯誤

❌I consumed my phone to call my friend.
✅I used my phone to call my friend.
💡'consume' means to use up resources, not to operate a device.

2. to take food or liquid into your body, especially as part of your regular diet o

2.動詞及物B1
釋義

to take food or liquid into your body, especially as part of your regular diet or in measured amounts — for example, when a doctor advises a patient to consume less salt, or a nutrition label shows how many calories a serving contains.

例句

Many young people in Taipei consume bubble tea almost every single day.

formal register for 'eat' or 'drink'

The doctor told Hyun to consume less sugar and salt for his blood pressure.

同義詞
  • eat

    everyday word; less formal and more natural in conversation

  • drink

    specific to liquids; 'consume' covers both solids and liquids

  • ingest

    technical or medical term; not used in everyday speech

反義詞
  • fast

    to eat no food for a period of time, often for health or religious reasons

文法句型

consume + noun (food, drink)

用法筆記

More formal than 'eat' or 'drink.' Common in health, nutrition, and medical writing. Often paired with quantity expressions (too much, enough, less, a lot of).

常見錯誤

❌I consumed breakfast quickly and ran to school.
✅I ate breakfast quickly and ran to school.
💡'consume' sounds overly formal for everyday meals; use 'eat' or 'have' for routine eating.
❌The baby consumed a bottle of milk.
✅The baby drank a bottle of milk.
💡'consume' is too clinical for describing what babies do; use 'drink' for natural register.

3. to watch, read, or listen to different forms of media — for example, watching te

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

to watch, read, or listen to different forms of media — for example, watching television programmes, reading online articles, or listening to music and podcasts.

例句

Young audiences now consume most of their news through short social media clips.

modern usage: consume + news / media content

Sade consumed three full seasons of the Korean drama in just one weekend.

同義詞
  • watch

    specific to visual media; less abstract than 'consume'

  • read

    specific to written content; 'consume' covers all media types

  • take in

    less formal phrasal verb; suggests absorbing information casually

文法句型

consume + noun (media, content, news, videos)

用法筆記

Increasingly common in discussions of digital habits and media trends. Refers to the act of engaging with content, not purchasing it. The object is always a type of media (news, videos, music, articles, podcasts).

常見錯誤

❌I consumed a new book from the bookstore.
✅I bought a new book from the bookstore.
💡'consume' means to read or watch, not to purchase.

4. when a blaze or flame burns right through an object or area until nothing is lef

4.動詞及物C1
釋義

when a blaze or flame burns right through an object or area until nothing is left, it consumes it — for instance, a wildfire turning a whole forest into ash, or a house fire eating through the roof and walls.

例句

The wildfire consumed over two hundred hectares of forest in three days.

subject: fire / flames; object: part of landscape or building

The old wooden temple was quickly consumed by the spreading flames.

passive: be consumed by fire / flames

同義詞
  • destroy

    more general; does not specify the means of destruction

  • burn down

    phrasal verb; implies a building is reduced to nothing by fire

  • devour

    more literary; personifies fire as a hungry creature

反義詞
  • save

    to rescue something from being destroyed

  • preserve

    to keep something safe from damage or destruction

文法句型

fire / flames + consume + noun; be consumed by fire / flames

用法筆記

Only used of fires, flames, or similar destructive forces. Not used for demolition by people or machines. Frequently appears in the passive construction 'be consumed by fire / flames.'

常見錯誤

❌The workers consumed the old building with a bulldozer.
✅The workers demolished the old building with a bulldozer.
💡'consume' refers to destruction by fire, not by tools or machinery.

5. when an intense emotion takes over your thoughts and actions so completely that

5.動詞及物C1
釋義

when an intense emotion takes over your thoughts and actions so completely that you cannot focus on much else — for instance, being eaten up by guilt after a bad choice, or so overtaken by jealousy that you cannot enjoy your own successes.

例句

Adina was consumed with guilt after forgetting her best friend's birthday.

passive: be consumed with + emotion (guilt, jealousy, grief)

Élise felt consumed by jealousy when her sister won the award she wanted.

同義詞
  • overwhelm

    more general; can apply to any strong force, not just emotions

  • engulf

    suggests being surrounded or swallowed up by the feeling

  • devour

    literary; suggests the feeling eats away at a person from inside

反義詞
  • liberate

    to free someone from a controlling emotion or state

  • relieve

    to remove or lessen a heavy emotional burden

文法句型

be consumed by + emotion; be consumed with + emotion

用法筆記

Always used in the passive (be consumed by/with) or as an adjective ('a consumed look'). The subject is a strong emotion: guilt, jealousy, grief, curiosity, anger, passion, fear, hatred. Not used with mild feelings like 'sadness' or 'surprise.'

常見錯誤

❌Anger consumed him to shout at the teacher.
✅Anger consumed him until he could no longer think clearly.
💡'consume' describes a state of being overwhelmed, not a cause that leads to a specific action.