to put food into your mouth and swallow it, to have a meal, to corrode or erode something

eat like a horse, eat someone alive, eat one's words

eat out, eat up, eat humble pie

Formal and Informal Expressions of eat

In different contexts, you can replace 'eat' with suitable alternatives. In a more formal setting, 'consume, ingest' is apt. In informal speech or writing, 'chow down, dig in' is a commonplace synonym.

eat: Explore its Definition & Usage

eat Definition

1to put food into your mouth and swallow it
2to have a meal
3to corrode or erode something

Using eat: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "eat" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

Example
I eat breakfast at 7 am every day.
Example
She likes to eat sushi for lunch.
Example
The acid rain is eating away at the metal roof.
Example
He ate up all of his opponent's arguments.

eat Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for eat

Antonyms for eat

Idioms Using eat

eat like a horse
to eat a lot of food
Example
My teenage son eats like a horse and never gains weight.
eat someone alive
to criticize or attack someone severely
Example
If you make a mistake in front of the boss, she will eat you alive.
eat one's words
to retract something one has said, especially if it was critical or negative
Example
After seeing the final product, he had to eat his words and admit that the designer did a great job.

Phrases with eat

eat out
to have a meal in a restaurant or outside of one's home
Example
We decided to eat out tonight instead of cooking at home.
eat up
to consume all of something, especially food
Example
The kids ate up all the cookies I baked for them.
eat humble pie
to admit that you were wrong and apologize
Example
After realizing his mistake, he had to eat humble pie and apologize to his boss.

Origins of eat

from Old English 'etan'

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Summary: eat in Brief

The verb 'eat' [iːt] refers to the act of putting food into one's mouth and swallowing it. It can also mean having a meal or corroding something. Examples include 'I eat breakfast at 7 am every day.' and 'The acid rain is eating away at the metal roof.' Phrases like 'eat out' and idioms like 'eat like a horse' extend the concept of eating.