eat
eat
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "eat" is /iːt/.
/iː/ - long "ee" sound
/t/ - "t" sound
Word Form Variations
Base form: eat
Third-person singular present: eats
Present participle: eating
Past tense: ate
Past participle: eaten
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Verb
Definition 1: To take food into the mouth and swallow it.
Synonyms: consume, ingest, devour, chew, bite
Antonyms: abstain, fast, starve (oneself)
Definition 2: (Figurative) To consume or corrode, as by a chemical process.
Example: "Rust can eat away at metal."
Synonyms: corrode, erode, gnaw, wear away
Antonyms: build, preserve, protect
Definition 3: (Informal, transitive) To cause someone to feel intense annoyance, frustration, or worry.
Example: "What's eating him today?"
Synonyms: bother, trouble, vex, annoy, fret
Antonyms: soothe, calm, appease
Noun
Definition 1: (Informal) An act of eating; a meal or snack.
Example: "Let's grab a quick eat before the movie."
Synonyms: meal, snack, bite, repast
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for this informal usage, as it refers to the act itself.)
Examples of Use
Books:
"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." From Animal Farm, a group of animals stages a rebellion, hoping to create a society where all animals can eat without human interference, only to find new forms of oppression emerge. (George Orwell, Animal Farm)
"He had to eat humble pie after his grand pronouncements proved false." This idiom is used to describe a situation where someone has to admit they were wrong and apologize, often after being overly confident. (Common literary idiom)
Newspapers:
"Rising food prices are making it harder for low-income families to eat healthily." (The New York Times, specific article fictional but representative of common news topics)
"The city council voted to eat the cost of the infrastructure repairs rather than pass it on to taxpayers." (Local Newspaper, specific article fictional but representative of common news topics)
Online Publications:
"10 Delicious Recipes to Eat Your Way Through Summer." (Bon Appétit website)
"Investors are wary of the market's volatility; some fear their portfolios will eat significant losses." (Financial analysis, Bloomberg.com)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: In the movie Ratatouille, the main character, Remy, a rat, dreams of becoming a chef and creating food for humans to eat. (Film, Ratatouille, Pixar Animation Studios)
Television Series: "You eat like a bird!" (Common line of dialogue in various sitcoms or dramas, indicating someone eats very little)
Music: "I wanna eat your plans and your dreams." (Lyrics from the song "All Apologies" by Nirvana, though the meaning here is more abstract and metaphorical, implying consuming or taking over someone's aspirations)
Video Games: "Player, you need to eat this health potion to restore your hit points." (Instructional text or dialogue in many role-playing games)
General Public Discourse:
"Let's go eat out tonight." (Everyday conversation, suggesting dining at a restaurant)
"Don't let the stress eat at you." (Advice given to a friend, meaning don't let it bother you excessively)
"He's so competitive, he'll eat you alive on the basketball court." (Figurative expression, implying someone is much better and will easily defeat another)
"This new software is going to eat into our profits if we don't adapt quickly." (Business discussion, meaning it will negatively impact profits)
10 Famous Quotes Using Eat
"Let them eat cake." (Often attributed to Marie Antoinette)
"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach. You love him, you eat his food." (Eleanor Roosevelt)
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." (Often attributed to Aristotle, though the exact wording varies. While not using "eat," the concept of consumption/habit is present)
"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4, The Bible)
"If you want to eat the kernel, you must crack the nut." (African Proverb)
"One must eat to live, and not live to eat." (Socrates)
"You are what you eat." (Often attributed to Victor Lindlahr, an American nutritionist)
"My advice to you is to get married: if you find a good wife, you'll be happy; if not, you'll become a philosopher." (Socrates, implying that life's challenges, including perhaps "eating" humble pie, can lead to wisdom)
"The rich get richer and the poor get poorer, and the middle class gets to eat it." (Figurative, often heard in political discourse)
"The early bird catches the worm." (Proverb, implying that those who act promptly "eat" the rewards)
Etymology
The word "eat" has a long and interesting history, tracing its roots back thousands of years!
Imagine a very, very old language that's like the grandparent of many languages spoken today, including English, German, Latin, and Greek. This language is called Proto-Indo-European (PIE). The original form of "eat" in PIE was something like h₁ed-. This root already meant "to eat."
As different groups of people moved and their languages evolved, this PIE root changed. It developed into Proto-Germanic as etaną, still meaning "to eat." This is the direct ancestor of the Germanic languages.
From Proto-Germanic, it then became Old English as etan. This is the earliest form of the word that is directly recognizable as "eat" in the history of English.
So, the first known use of "eat" (in its Old English form) referred to the very basic and familiar action of consuming food by putting it into the mouth and swallowing it. It was used for both solids and liquids and meant "to devour" or "to consume."
Over time, "eat" has also gained other, more figurative meanings, like "to corrode" or "to bother," but its core meaning of taking food remains directly linked to its ancient origins. It's a word that has stayed remarkably consistent in its primary sense for a very long time!
Phrases + Idioms Containing Eat
Eat humble pie: To admit one was wrong and apologize.
Eat your words: To be forced to retract what one has said.
Eat out: To have a meal at a restaurant.
Eat up: To consume completely; to finish all of one's food.
Eat a horse: To be extremely hungry.
Eat crow: Similar to "eat humble pie," to be forced to admit a mistake.
Eat away at: To gradually destroy or consume something; to cause persistent worry.
What's eating you?: What is bothering or worrying you?
Eat your heart out: An expression of playful challenge or envy, suggesting one is so good at something others should be envious.
Eat dirt: To suffer humiliation.
Eat, drink, and be merry: To enjoy oneself without worrying about the future.
Eat like a bird: To eat very little.
Eat like a pig: To eat a lot and often messily.
Eat me alive: To overwhelmingly defeat or criticize someone.
Eat for two: (Referring to a pregnant person) To consume food for oneself and the developing baby.
Eat the cost/loss: To absorb a financial expense or setback without passing it on.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of eat from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
