consume
consume — verb
1. to need and use a resource like petrol, electricity, or time, often in large amo
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.
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.
Reuben consumed over three hours reading the full 50-page contract.
Chiara noticed that the old fridge consumed twice as much electricity as the modern model.
The city's heating system consumes vast amounts of natural gas each winter.
- 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
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
2. to take food or liquid into your body, especially as part of your regular diet o
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.
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.
Talia consumed the entire bowl of noodles in under ten minutes.
Brian's diet is mostly vegetables, so he rarely consumes red meat.
Pregnant women are often advised to consume enough calcium every day.
- 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
3. to watch, read, or listen to different forms of media — for example, watching te
to watch, read, or listen to different forms of media — for example, watching television programmes, reading online articles, or listening to music and podcasts.
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.
The way people consume music has shifted from CDs to streaming platforms.
Tariq prefers to consume podcasts during his morning walk to the station.
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
4. when a blaze or flame burns right through an object or area until nothing is lef
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.
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
Flames consumed the top two floors of the hotel before firefighters arrived.
Thick black smoke rose as the blaze consumed the warehouse's entire stock of goods.
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
5. when an intense emotion takes over your thoughts and actions so completely that
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.
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.
After the earthquake, the small town was consumed by fear for weeks.
Caio was consumed with curiosity about the locked room in his new house.
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.'