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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Consume: Meaning, Examples, and Usage Guide (3 meaning)

Meaning 1：use up completely (consume)

consume 🔊

/kənˈsuːm/

To use up something completely, like time, energy, or resources.

Consume battery icon showing low power on smartphone screen

use up completely 🔊

➕

/ˈjuːz ʌp kəmˈpliːtli/

To use up a resource, such as time, energy, money, or materials, until nothing remains.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'consumere' (com- 'together' + sumere 'to take') meaning to take up completely.

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'con' (together) + 'sume' (take) → take together until nothing left.

📖 Example

Streaming movies on my phone consumes a lot of mobile data very quickly. 🔊 Streaming movies on my phone consumes a lot of mobile data very quickly.

🔗 Collocations

consume energy – To use up energy resources such as electricity or fuel.

consume time – To take up a large amount of time for an activity.

consume resources – To deplete natural or financial resources.

🔄 Synonyms

exhaust (v.) – To use up all of something, leaving none.

deplete (v.) – To reduce the amount of something significantly.

use up (phrasal v.) – To consume completely until nothing is left.

🚫 Antonyms

conserve (v.) – To protect and avoid wasting a resource.

preserve (v.) – To maintain something in its original state without using it up.

save (v.) – To keep something for future use instead of using it now.

🌱 Derivatives

consumption (n.) – The act of using up a resource.

consumer (n.) – A person who buys and uses resources or products.

consumable (adj.) – Capable of being used up and requiring replacement.

📖 Cultural Story

From Latin 'consumere', via Old French 'consumer'. Originally meant 'to use up or destroy'. In modern English, it is widely used in contexts of eating, using resources, and being overcome by emotions.

Meaning 2：eat or drink (consume)

consume 🔊

/kənˈsuːm/

To eat food or drink something.

Consume food by eating a healthy salad with fork and knife

eat or drink 🔊

➕

/iːt ɔːr drɪŋk/

To take food or drink into the body in order to nourish or refresh oneself.

📁 Category：Diet & Health 🔖 Level：elementary

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

Doctors recommend that we consume at least five portions of fruits and vegetables every day. 🔊 Doctors recommend that we consume at least five portions of fruits and vegetables every day.

🔗 Collocations

consume food – To eat food as part of a meal or snack.

consume alcohol – To drink alcoholic beverages.

consume a meal – To eat a complete serving of food at a sitting.

🔄 Synonyms

ingest (v.) – To take food or drink into the body through the mouth.

eat (v.) – To put food into the mouth and swallow it.

drink (v.) – To take a liquid into the mouth and swallow it.

🚫 Antonyms

fast (v.) – To abstain from food for a period of time.

starve (v.) – To suffer severely from lack of food.

abstain (v.) – To refrain from consuming something, especially food or drink.

🌱 Derivatives

consumption (n.) – The act of eating or drinking.

consumer (n.) – A person who eats or drinks something.

consumable (adj.) – Suitable for eating or drinking; edible.

Meaning 3：overwhelm emotionally (consume)

consume 🔊

/kənˈsuːm/

When a strong feeling completely fills your mind and attention.

Consume emotion silhouette with flames representing overwhelming feeling

overwhelm emotionally 🔊

➕

/ˌoʊvərˈwɛlm ɪˈmoʊʃənəli/

When a strong emotion takes over one's mind and attention completely, leaving little room for anything else.

📁 Category：Physical & Mental Health 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

After the argument, she was consumed by regret and couldn't focus on her work. 🔊 After the argument, she was consumed by regret and could not focus on her work.

🔗 Collocations

consume with guilt – To be completely filled with a feeling of guilt.

consume by curiosity – To be intensely preoccupied by curiosity.

consume with passion – To be fully absorbed by a powerful emotion like love or anger.

🔄 Synonyms

overwhelm (v.) – To overcome completely mentally or emotionally.

engulf (v.) – To surround and absorb completely, as if by a flood.

preoccupy (v.) – To dominate the mind or attention of someone.

🚫 Antonyms

free (v.) – To release from a mental or emotional burden.

distract (v.) – To draw attention away from something.

relieve (v.) – To reduce or remove a feeling of emotional pressure.

🌱 Derivatives

consuming (adj.) – Completely absorbing one's attention or emotions.

consumed (adj.) – Overwhelmed by a strong emotion.

consumption (n.) – (rare) The state of being emotionally consumed.