devour

/dɪˈvaʊə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈvaʊər/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈvau̇(-ə)r dē-/ (ame, mw)

devour — verb

  • devourpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • devourshe / she / it
  • devouredpast simple
  • devouring-ing form

1. to eat food very quickly and hungrily, often in big bites until nothing remains

1.動詞及物B1
釋義

to eat food very quickly and hungrily, often in big bites until nothing remains

例句

Amara was starving after the hike and devoured the entire sandwich in two minutes.

devour + entire [food] in [time period]

The stray cat devoured the can of tuna the moment Fatima opened it.

同義詞
  • gobble up

    more informal; often used with children or animals

  • wolf down

    informal; suggests eating very fast with big mouthfuls

  • scarf down

    American informal slang; very casual

反義詞
  • nibble

    to eat in small, gentle bites — the opposite of eager, fast eating

  • savor

    to enjoy food slowly and with full attention

文法句型

devour + noun phrase (food)

常見錯誤

❌I devoured my breakfast slowly while reading the paper.
✅I devoured my breakfast in two minutes because I was late for work.
💡'Devour' implies speed and hunger, not a slow, relaxed pace.

2. to completely destroy or consume something, such as a building, land, or resourc

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to completely destroy or consume something, such as a building, land, or resource, by fire, time, or natural forces

例句

The wildfire devoured over two hundred hectares of forest before the rain arrived.

fire devours [area] of [terrain]

Rising sea levels have slowly devoured the coastline of Minh's home village.

同義詞
  • consume

    less dramatic; neutral register

  • engulf

    suggests something is surrounded and swallowed by a larger force (especially fire or water)

  • ravage

    implies violent, widespread damage over an area

反義詞
  • preserve

    to keep something in its original state

  • protect

    to keep something safe from harm or destruction

文法句型

devour + noun phrase (land/property/resource)

用法筆記

Commonly used in figurative descriptions of natural disasters, fire, or decay. The subject is typically a destructive force (fire, flood, time) rather than a person.

常見錯誤

❌The company devoured its competitor in a hostile takeover.
✅The fire devoured the old warehouse in under an hour.
💡When talking about business, use 'swallow up' or 'acquire' instead; 'devour' for destruction is mostly used with physical or natural forces.

3. to read something very quickly and with great interest, often unable to stop unt

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

to read something very quickly and with great interest, often unable to stop until it is finished

例句

Ingrid devoured the detective novel in one night and immediately ordered the sequel.

devour [book] in [time period]

The children devoured every book in the school library about dinosaurs and space.

同義詞
  • read voraciously

    more formal; suggests a habit of reading many things eagerly

  • binge-read

    modern, informal; especially for series or long articles

  • tear through

    informal; suggests reading very fast, almost frantically

反義詞
  • skim

    to read quickly without full attention or enjoyment

  • browse

    to look through without deep focus or commitment

文法句型

devour + noun phrase (book/novel/page)

用法筆記

Can also be used for watching a TV series or reading through a website's content, though 'binge-watch' or 'browse' are more common for those contexts now.

常見錯誤

❌I devoured the textbook before the exam.' (implying enjoyment)
✅I devoured the mystery novel because I had to know who the killer was.
💡'Devour' for reading carries a strong sense of eagerness and pleasure; it sounds odd with dry or purely practical material.