eat
gb/ˈit/ us/ˈit/
A1
English
~ 700
eszik, kikezd, elkoptat, átmar, felemészt, felhasznál, felél, elhasznál, fogyaszt, kimerít
VERB
A1
1
eszik
A1
Usage pattern:
to eat [food]
I usually eat breakfast at 7 a.m.
Általában reggel hétkor reggelizem.
She doesn't eat meat because she's vegetarian.
Nem eszik húst, mert vegetáriánus.
We ate at a new restaurant last night.
He eats too much junk food.
They were eating pizza when I arrived.
Learner examples
I eat rice every day.
Mindennap rizst eszem.
She eats an apple.
Egy almát eszik.
We eat dinner at home.
He eats bread in the morning.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'eat' with 'have' when talking about meals. While 'have lunch' is correct, 'eat lunch' is also fine but slightly more direct.
Meaning
To consume food by mouth
Collocations
eat breakfast
|eat lunch
|eat dinner
|eat out
|eat healthy
Synonyms
consume (More formal or general; can apply to non-food items as well.)
|
devour (Suggests eating something quickly and eagerly.)
Antonyms
fast (To not eat for a period of time.)
Themes
daily life
|food
|food_drink
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To put food in your mouth, chew it, and swallow it.
To put food into the mouth, chew it, and swallow it.
VERB
B1
2
Usage pattern:
to eat away at [something]
Acid can eat through metal if left long enough.
A sav átmarhatja a fémet, ha elég sokáig rajta marad.
Rust had eaten away the hinges.
A rozsda szétmarta a zsanérokat.
Termites ate through the wooden beams.
Learner examples
Acid eats the metal.
A sav kikezdi a fémet.
Rust eats the car.
A rozsda kikezdi az autót.
Bugs eat the wood.
Meaning
To corrode or wear away
Collocations
acid eats metal
|rust eats away
|moths eat clothes
Synonyms
erode (More common in geological or metaphorical contexts.)
|
corrode (Specifically used for chemical damage to metals.)
Antonyms
preserve (To keep something from being damaged or decayed.)
Themes
science
|materials
|core_vocabulary
|nature
Definition
To slowly damage something, especially by chemicals or rubbing.
To gradually damage or destroy something by chemical action or continuous use.
VERB
B2
INFORMAL
3
Usage pattern:
to eat up [resource]
Unexpected repairs ate up most of our savings.
A váratlan javítások felemésztették a megtakarításaink nagy részét.
This project is eating into my free time.
Ez a projekt felemészti a szabadidőmet.
Legal fees can really eat up your budget.
Learner examples
The car eats a lot of fuel.
Az autó sok üzemanyagot fogyaszt.
The work eats my time.
A munka felemészti az időmet.
The game eats my phone battery.
Meaning
To use up resources quickly
Collocations
eat up time
|eat up money
|eats into profits
Synonyms
consume (Neutral and general; can apply to any resource.)
|
drain (Suggests complete or exhausting consumption of a resource.)
Antonyms
save (To keep resources instead of using them.)
Themes
business
|daily life
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To use a lot of time, money, or energy.
To consume large amounts of something such as money, time, or energy.
Grammar
Dictionary form
eat
IPA
GB/ˈit/
US/ˈit/
Syllables & stress
eat (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (eat)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: eat
- 3rd Person Singular: eats
- Present Participle: eating
- Past: ate
- Past Participle: eaten
Word family
Forms
eats
verb
eating
verb
ate
verb
eaten
verb
Core family
eater
noun
edible
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
inedible
adjective
Advanced or less common
eatery
noun
Highlights
- Irregular past: ate Verb
- Irregular past participle: eaten Verb
Expressions
eat away at
1/ˈit əwˈeɪ ˈæt/
phrasal verb
To erode gradually over time
To slowly damage something or make someone feel bad for a long time.
Examples
- Acid rain has eaten away at the statue.
- The guilt ate away at him for years.
eat like a horse
1/ˈit lˈaɪk ə hˈɔɹs/
idiom
informal
To eat very large amounts of food
To eat a lot of food regularly.
Examples
- He’s so skinny but eats like a horse.
- Teenagers often eat like horses because they are growing.
eat out
1/ˈit ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
To dine at a restaurant
To have a meal at a restaurant instead of at home.
Examples
- We usually eat out on Fridays.
- They decided to eat out to celebrate their anniversary.
eat up
1/ˈit ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
informal
To consume completely
To finish all of something, especially food, or to use all of something like money or time.
Examples
- Eat up your vegetables before dessert.
- The trip ate up all my savings.
eat humble pie
1/ˈit hˈʌmbəl pˈaɪ/
idiom
informal
To admit you were wrong and apologize humbly
To say you were wrong and be sorry after someone shows you are wrong.
Examples
- After the mistake was discovered, he had to eat humble pie in front of the team.
- After the argument, he had to eat humble pie and apologize.
- She refused to admit her error until the evidence forced her to eat humble pie.
- She was forced to eat humble pie when her plan failed.
eat humble pie
2/ˈit hˈʌmbəl pˈaɪ/
idiom
admit you were wrong
To admit you were wrong and say you are sorry, especially after strongly saying you were right.
Examples
- After the report came out, the manager had to eat humble pie and apologize to the team.
- The critics ate humble pie when the movie became a huge success.
- He laughed at her idea, but later he ate humble pie when it worked perfectly.