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.

A child ate beef kofta at The Kebab Shop last month in Atwater Village.

From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026

"Books devoured me, they ate me," she said.

From BBC • May 29, 2026

At one point father and baby ate grass together, the big grass fronds flickering around their heads as they chomped.

From Slate • May 27, 2026

Published in Nature Communications, the research combines archaeology, ancient DNA analysis, isotope studies, and skeletal evidence to reconstruct how people lived, moved, ate, and buried their dead roughly 3,000 years ago.

From Science Daily • May 19, 2026

I ate more than I had for days.

From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell