Definitions

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.

The best thing you ate after the show.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

He ate with tax collectors, sinners and outcasts.

From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026

In town, a few residents wandered through a mostly empty shopping mall, while members of the security forces ate ice lollies at an observation point under the blazing sun.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

People who ate the most minimally processed foods had a 41% lower risk of dementia compared with those who ate the least.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

After an hour I was starving, so I ate all the biscuits in my sack.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff