ate

[eyt, et] / eɪt, ɛt /

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consume food v.
erode, wear away; use up v.

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

"We really went all out. Then we flew around in a circle, talked with the family, ate good food," Klopp said.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

At the Sunday reception, the couple had their first dance, with Bettina Trump wearing her wedding dress, and ate a five-tier wedding cake topped with a miniature bride and groom.

From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026

“He just sat there and ate it,” McKay would later testify.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

Those participants ate a diet in which 14 percent of energy came from protein, 28-29 percent from fat, and 53 percent from carbohydrates.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 16, 2026

She was old and tough but we ate every shred of meat and sucked on the bones until they fell apart in our mouths.

From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff