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

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

Those participants reported that losing weight required ongoing effort to consciously limit how much they ate and resist overeating.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026

Chestnut ate 66 hot dogs in 10 minutes, according to CBS, the BBC's US news partner.

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

Most of us have, at one point or another, tried to recreate a meal we ate on vacation.

From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026

Rowdy always did figure that anything I ate or drank was plenty good enough for him.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls