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.

See Examples For:

ate

Let’s go talk to those people and find out exactly what they ate.

From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026

Brandon Brown, an epidemiologist and professor of medicine with the UC Riverside School of Medicine, contracted the illness in 2018 from what he believes was a salad he ate during a trip.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

It is not clear if anyone who ate at Taco Bell has become sick, WWJ said, as cases of cyclosporiasis rise in the state and elsewhere.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026

It’ll be too hot to dress up in 19th-century garb, but Rachel plans to serve “Little House”-inspired snacks of popcorn and apples, foods the family ate throughout the series.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

Auntie North looked a bit peaky and gray because of something bad she ate.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova