Definitions

ate

[eyt, et] / eɪt, ɛt /

VERB

consume food

Synonyms

STRONGEST

attack bite chew devour dine feed ingest inhale nibble pick swallow

STRONG

absorb banquet bolt breakfast cram digest dispatch gorge gormandize graze lunch masticate munch nosh ruminate scarf scoff snack sup wolf

WEAK

break bread chow down dispose of fall to feast upon gobble up have a bite have a meal have for make pig of oneself partake of peck at pig out polish off pork out put away take food take in take nourishment

Antonyms

STRONGEST

abstain

STRONG

misunderstand open

WEAK

build maintain preserve

VERB

erode, wear away; use up

Synonyms

STRONGEST

bite drain nibble

STRONG

condense corrode crumble decay decompose disappear disintegrate dissipate dissolve exhaust gnaw liquefy melt rot rust spill squander vanish

WEAK

run through waste away

Antonyms

STRONG

appear arrive build coagulate combine develop flourish grow hoard improve put together save solidify unite

WEAK

maintain preserve

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Yet the company stagnated while Amazon ate its lunch, first dominating online retailing, then entering and succeeding at a diner menu of related businesses, from logistics to cloud computing to on-demand streaming media.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

While most attendees left quickly in an orderly fashion, one guy sat calmly and ate his salad; he’d obviously seen a few things in his life.

From Salon • May 1, 2026

Yes, Wintour ate rare steak and potatoes from a nearby restaurant.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

This time in England when Molly ate a muffin containing milk.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

He ate some grass and a couple of spiders.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver