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.

One important clue came from isotope analysis, a technique that can reveal what an animal ate during its lifetime.

From Science Daily • Jul. 5, 2026

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

From BBC • Jul. 5, 2026

Maybe it was the bowl of pasta from Rome, the fish tacos from a beach town or the perfect tomato sandwich you ate on somebody else’s porch You’re not really trying to recreate lunch.

From Salon • Jun. 30, 2026

“I ate them enthusiastically and ended up getting full before the main course arrived,” he wrote in a highly relatable X message.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026

She baked him a birthday cake, and the two of them ate it themselves when Mr. Garner and the twins were at football practice.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova