INDEX:
1. to eat
2. to have a meal
3. to eat a lot or too much
4. to eat something very quickly
5. to eat noisily
6. to eat all of something
7. to eat small amounts of food
8. to eat less in order to lose weight
9. to stop eating or refuse to eat
10. when you have eaten enough or too much food
11. someone who enjoys eating a lot
12. someone who only eats certain types of food
13. when something can be eaten
14. when something cannot be eaten
RELATED WORDS
someone who eats too much : ↑ GREEDY
see also
↑ DRINK
↑ TASTE
↑ HUNGRY/NOT HUNGRY
↑ FOOD
↑ COOK
↑ MEAL
↑ DELICIOUS
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1. to eat
▷ eat /iːt/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
▪ Don’t eat so fast - you’ll get sick.
▪ I’m so full. I couldn’t eat another thing.
▪ She was sitting on the wall, eating an apple.
▪ Hey! - Someone’s eaten all my chocolates.
▷ have /hæv/ [transitive verb]
to eat a particular thing :
▪ I wasn’t very hungry, so I just had a sandwich.
▪ I think I’ll just have one more piece of cake.
have something for lunch/dinner/breakfast
▪ What shall we have for dinner?
▪ I usually just have fruit for breakfast.
▷ chew /tʃuː/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to bite food several times and turn it around in your mouth :
▪ I chewed the toffee slowly.
▪ There was a cow in the field, slowly chewing a mouthful of grass.
▷ swallow /ˈswɒləʊǁˈswɑː-/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to make something go down your throat towards your stomach :
▪ If you drink some water it will make the pills easier to swallow.
▪ I threw a piece of meat to the dog and he swallowed it in one go.
▷ lick /lɪk/ [transitive verb]
to eat something soft by moving your tongue across its surface :
▪ The children sat licking their ice creams.
lick something off something
▪ Nina licked the melted chocolate off her fingers.
▷ consume /kənˈsjuːmǁ-ˈsuːm/ [transitive verb]
to eat or drink something - used especially in scientific or technical contexts :
▪ In order to survive human beings need to consume food and water.
▪ People who consume large amounts of animal fats are more likely to get cancer and heart disease.
consumption /kənˈsʌmpʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
▪ Food products have dates printed on them to show if they’re safe for consumption safe to be consumed .
▷ dig in/tuck in /ˌdɪg ˈɪn, ˌtʌk ˈɪn/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to eat eagerly and with enjoyment :
▪ Dinner’s ready everyone. Dig in!
▪ Nick was already at the table, tucking in.
tuck into
▪ ‘This is delicious!’ he said, tucking into his steak and kidney pudding.
▷ feed /fiːd/ [intransitive verb]
if animals or babies feed, they eat or drink :
▪ Most new babies will want to feed every few hours.
▪ The pigs were feeding from a trough in the middle of the yard.
feed on
▪ The larvae feed on the young shoots of water-lilies.
▷ chow down /ˌtʃaʊ ˈdaʊn/ [intransitive phrasal verb] American informal
to eat, especially in a noisy way or in a way that shows you are very hungry :
▪ We each grabbed a container of ice cream and chowed down.
chow down on
▪ The kids were chowing down on a large pizza.
2. to have a meal
▷ have /hæv/ [transitive verb]
to eat a meal :
have breakfast/lunch/dinner
▪ Have you had lunch?
▪ Make sure you have a good breakfast because lunch isn’t until two o'clock.
have a meal
▪ We had an excellent meal in a Thai restaurant.
▷ eat /iːt/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to eat a meal :
▪ We usually eat at seven o'clock.
▪ I’m not hungry, thanks - I’ve already eaten.
eat out
eat a meal in a restaurant
▪ We eat out about once a month.
eat breakfast/lunch/dinner
▪ We ate dinner at around six, then went out.
HINT : Have is the usual word to use when talking about eating a particular meal such as lunch or dinner, and is much more common than eat . Have is always transitive but eat can be transitive or intransitive.
▷ have something to eat /hæv ˌsʌmθɪŋ tʊ ˈiːt/ [verb phrase]
to eat something such as a small meal or a sandwich :
▪ Shall we stop here and have something to eat?
▪ Halfway to Berlin we stopped to have something to eat.
▪ The movie didn’t start for another hour, so we had something to eat in the cafe across the street.
▷ grab something/a bite to eat /ˌgræb sʌmθɪŋ, ə ˌbaɪt tʊ ˈiːt/ [verb phrase] informal
to eat something quickly, such as a small meal or a sandwich, because you are in a hurry :
▪ Let’s grab something to eat before we go out.
▪ Do you want to grab a bite to eat, or can you wait until we get home?
▷ have a snack /ˌhæv ə ˈsnæk/ [verb phrase]
to eat a small meal in the time between your main meals :
▪ I usually have a snack at about 3 o'clock.
▪ Dinner wouldn’t be ready for a couple hours, so we had a snack while we watched television.
snack [countable noun]
▪ They stopped for a snack at a roadside cafe.
▷ snack /snæk/ [intransitive verb]
to eat small amounts of food between main meals or instead of a meal :
▪ Children who snack often develop poor eating habits.
snack on
▪ Tim was always snacking on potato chips and popcorn.
▷ dine /daɪn/ [intransitive verb] formal
to eat a meal, often a formal or official meal, especially in the evening :
dine with
▪ I have received an invitation to dine with the Mayor.
dine alone
▪ Dining alone this evening?
dine on
▪ Guests dined on sea bass and saffron potato mousseline.
dine out
have a meal in a restaurant
▪ It’s a place where the famous can dine out and not be bothered.
3. to eat a lot or too much
▷ stuff/gorge yourself /ˈstʌf, ˈgɔːʳdʒ jɔːʳself/ [verb phrase]
to eat so much food that you cannot eat anything else :
stuff/gorge yourself with
▪ Having stuffed himself with burgers, Terry was unable to finish his dessert.
stuff/gorge yourself on
▪ The Romans would gorge themselves on grapes and plums.
▷ pig out /ˌpɪg ˈaʊt/ [intransitive phrasal verb] informal
to eat a lot of food -- used humorously :
▪ Last night we pigged out and ate three pizzas.
pig out on
▪ When he’s depressed he always pigs out on ice cream.
▷ make a pig of yourself /meɪk ə ˈpɪg əv jɔːʳself/ [verb phrase] informal
to eat too much food -- used especially humorously, and used to say that someone has behaved in an embarrassing way when eating with other people :
▪ I had four pieces of cake and made a real pig of myself.
▪ Don’t make such a pig of yourself; you’ve eaten enough.
▷ overeat /ˌəʊvərˈiːt/ [intransitive verb usually in progressive]
to regularly eat too much in a way that is bad for your health :
▪ You need to watch your weight - have you been overeating?
▪ A woman who overeats during pregnancy can cause health problems for her child.
overeating [uncountable noun]
▪ We’re constantly being reminded of the dangers of overeating.
4. to eat something very quickly
▷ wolf down /ˌwʊlf ˈdaʊn/ [transitive phrasal verb] informal
to eat food quickly and eagerly, especially because you are very hungry or are in a hurry :
wolf down something
▪ I wolfed down my breakfast but still felt hungry.
▪ They were already late so they wolfed down their lunch and caught the 2.30 train.
wolf something down
▪ When the food finally came she wolfed it down immediately.
▷ bolt down /ˌbəʊlt ˈdaʊn/ [transitive phrasal verb] British
to eat something too quickly, especially because you are in a hurry :
bolt down something
▪ He bolted down two hamburgers then washed them down with Coca-Cola.
bolt something down
▪ Don’t bolt your food down! Chew it up slowly.
▷ gobble up/down /ˌgɒb ə l ˈʌp, daʊnǁˌgɑː-/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to eat something quickly and noisily, especially because you are taking a lot of food into your mouth :
gobble something up/down
▪ Mike gobbled his lunch down then dashed off to meet his next client.
gobble up/down something
▪ The cat leapt onto the kitchen counter and gobbled up the smoked salmon intended for dinner.
▷ scoff /skɒf‖skɔːf/ British informal /scarf American informal /skɑːʳf/ [transitive verb]
to eat something very quickly :
▪ I left three pies in the fridge and someone’s scoffed the lot!
scarf up/down something
▪ I scarfed down breakfast in my car on the way to work.
scarf something up/down
▪ Wow, you two really scarfed those cookies up.
5. to eat noisily
▷ munch /mʌntʃ/ [transitive verb]
to eat something with continuous movements of your mouth, especially when you are enjoying your food :
▪ Jamie came out of the store munching a bag of potato chips.
munch on
▪ We sipped black coffee and munched on homemade biscuits.
▷ crunch /krʌntʃ/ [transitive verb]
to noisily eat something hard :
▪ He drank his orange juice and crunched a half burnt piece of toast.
▪ Jill was reading the paper, crunching a raw carrot as she read.
crunch on
▪ Miguel, crunching on a mouthful of chips, wiped the cheese from his beard.
6. to eat all of something
▷ eat up /ˌiːt ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to eat all of something and not leave anything :
▪ Come on, boys -- eat up your supper and get to bed.
eat something/it/them up
▪ Margaret ate it all up and then asked for more.
▪ We were always taught to eat our vegetables up.
▷ finish /ˈfɪnɪʃ/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to finish eating something :
▪ Are you finished?
▪ You may not leave the table until you’ve finished your supper.
▪ I finished my lunch, repacked my back pack, and set off again.
▪ Hurry up and finish so we can make the 7 o'clock show.
▷ finish off/up /ˌfɪnɪʃ ˈɒf, ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to finish eating the rest of the food that is still on the plate, in the pan etc :
finish off/up something
▪ Who finished off the cake that was left after the party?
▪ Can someone finish up these strawberries so I don’t have to throw them away?
finish something/it/them off
▪ Finish those carrots off and you can have dessert.
▷ polish off /ˌpɒlɪʃ ˈɒfǁˌpɑː-/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to eat everything that is available, with great enjoyment, until there is none left :
polish off something
▪ At dinner he polished off six fudge brownies and then asked for some more.
polish something/it/them off
▪ If anyone wants more pizza, come and get it before Dan polishes it all off.
▷ demolish /dɪˈmɒlɪʃǁdɪˈmɑː-/ [transitive verb]
to eat all of something very quickly - used humorously :
▪ The kids demolished the cake and then ran back outside to play.
▪ I’ve seen Marian demolish a big box of chocolates in one sitting!
▷ devour /dɪˈvaʊəʳ/ [transitive verb] especially written
to eat all of something quickly because you are very hungry :
▪ After the tennis match the boys devoured the sandwiches in seconds.
▪ Wendell devoured a large piece of gingerbread, then licked his fingers greedily.
7. to eat small amounts of food
▷ nibble /ˈnɪb ə l/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to eat something by biting very small pieces :
▪ The horse lowered his head and began to nibble the grass.
nibble on/at
▪ We stood around drinking wine and nibbling on little snacks.
▷ pick at /ˈpɪk æt/ [transitive verb]
to eat only a small part of a meal, especially because you feel ill or unhappy :
▪ I sat picking at my dinner, wishing I were somewhere else.
▷ hardly touch your food/dinner/meal etc /ˌhɑːʳdli ˈtʌtʃ jɔːʳ fuːd/ [verb phrase]
to eat almost none of your dinner, meal etc :
▪ Are you feeling okay? You’ve hardly touched your dinner.
▪ We were so full by the time dessert came that we hardly touched it.
8. to eat less in order to lose weight
▷ diet /ˈdaɪət/ [intransitive verb]
to eat less in order to lose weight :
▪ I’ve been dieting for two months and I’ve lost 6 kilos.
▪ She dieted and went on exercise programs but nothing seemed to work.
▷ diet /ˈdaɪət/ [countable noun]
when you eat less food over a period of time because you want to become thinner or healthier :
▪ I’ve tried all the diets and they never work.
▪ This new diet involves eating very small amounts throughout the day.
go on a diet
▪ The doctor told Tom to quit smoking and go on a diet.
be on a diet
▪ Since his heart attack, Brice has been on a salt-free diet.
9. to stop eating or refuse to eat
▷ fast /fɑːst‖fæst/ [intransitive verb]
to stop eating food for a fixed period of time, especially for religious reasons :
▪ Muslims fast during Ramadan.
fast [countable noun]
▪ At the end of their fast, the people have a big party to celebrate.
▷ go on (a) hunger strike /ˌgəʊ ɒn (ə) ˈhʌŋgəʳ ˌstraɪk/ [verb phrase]
if someone goes on a hunger strike, they refuse to eat for days or weeks in order to protest about something or bring public attention to a political problem :
▪ More than 300 prisoners went on hunger strike in February in protest against the living conditions.
be on (a) hunger strike
▪ 67 men had been on hunger strike since August 13th.
▷ be off your food /biː ˌɒf jɔːʳ ˈfuːd/ [verb phrase] British especially spoken
if someone is off their food, they do not want to eat, for example because they feel sick or ill :
▪ What’s wrong with Billy? He seems to be off his food.
10. when you have eaten enough or too much food
▷ have had enough /həv ˌhæd ɪˈnʌf/ [verb phrase]
to have eaten enough food, so that you do not want any more :
▪ ‘Would you like some dessert?’ ‘No thanks, I’ve had enough.’
▪ Leave the rest if you’ve had enough.
▷ be full /biː ˈfʊl/ [verb phrase] spoken
if you are full, you have eaten so much food that you cannot eat any more :
▪ ‘Would you like some more pie?’ ‘No thanks, I’m full.’
▷ couldn’t eat another thing /ˌkʊdnt iːt əˌnʌðə ˈθɪŋ/
you say I couldn’t eat another thing when you have eaten a lot, especially because you enjoyed the food, and are very full :
▪ The apple pie is delicious, but I won’t have another slice - I couldn’t eat another thing.
▷ bloated /ˈbləʊtɪd, ˈbləʊtəd/ [adjective]
having eaten so much that your stomach feels very full and uncomfortable :
▪ I feel really bloated. I wish I hadn’t eaten so much.
bloated with
▪ He fell onto the sofa, his stomach bloated with food.
▷ on a full stomach /ɒn ə ˌfʊl ˈstʌmək/ [adverb]
if you do something on a full stomach, you do it soon after eating a meal, when you are still feeling full :
▪ It isn’t wise to go swimming on a full stomach.
11. someone who enjoys eating a lot
▷ big eater /ˌbɪg ˈiːtəʳ/ [countable noun]
someone who usually eats a lot of food :
▪ Don’t give me such a large portion. I’m not a big eater.
▪ What can I cook for them? They’re such big eaters.
▷ like your food /ˌlaɪk jɔːʳ ˈfuːd/ [verb phrase not in progressive] informal
to enjoy food and to usually eat a lot :
▪ Give him a big plate of spaghetti. He likes his food.
▪ ‘Now there’s a man who likes his food,’ she said, as her brother took a third helping of pie.
▷ gourmet /ˈgʊəmeɪǁˈgʊər-, gʊərˈmeɪ/ [countable noun]
someone who knows a lot about food and drink and likes good quality food and drink :
▪ They’re real gourmets and buy only the best cuts of meat.
▪ Many gourmets say that Camembert should never be kept in a fridge.
gourmet food/cooking etc
very good and usually expensive
▪ The shop only sells gourmet food, at astronomical prices.
▷ foodie /ˈfuːdi/ [countable noun] British informal
someone who is interested in food, and likes going to restaurants and trying new and unusual foods :
▪ a new magazine for foodies
▪ Michael Caine is an avid foodie who owns a string of restaurants.
12. someone who only eats certain types of food
▷ be a fussy/picky eater /biː ə ˌfʌsi, ˌpɪki ˈiːtəʳ/ [verb phrase]
to refuse to eat particular types of food and only eat food that you especially like :
▪ Stan’s such a picky eater; it’s impossible to know what to cook for him.
13. when something can be eaten
▷ edible /ˈedɪb ə l, ˈedəb ə l/ [adjective]
food, plants, and animals that are edible are suitable for people to eat and will not cause illness or death :
▪ Are these mushrooms edible?
▪ There are many edible fruits growing wild in the coastal forest.
14. when something cannot be eaten
▷ inedible /ɪnˈedɪb ə l, ɪnˈedəb ə l/ [adjective]
food, plants, and animals that are inedible cannot be eaten, especially because they have a bad taste :
▪ Onondaga Lake is now so polluted that the fish are inedible.
▪ Mark hadn’t realized that the leaves of the rhubarb plant were inedible.
▷ unfit for human consumption /ʌnˌfɪt fəʳ ˌhjuːmən kənˈsʌmpʃ ə n/ [adjective phrase]
not suitable for people to eat -- used especially in official contexts :
▪ Most of this meat is so old it is unfit for human consumption.
▪ Warning: Animal Feed only -- Unfit for human consumption.