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’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

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

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

I order a plate of biscuits and hash and then stare at them when they arrive, unable to remember the last time I ate in public, in a restaurant with other people.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse