Test

Consume

IPA: /kənˈsuːm/
Syllables: con-sume

Part of Speech & Grammatical Information:

Verb (v.t./v.i.)

Core Definitions & Translations

1. To eat, drink, or use something (v.t.)
   吃、喝、使用（某物）
2. To use something in large amounts; to expend (v.t.)
   大量使用；耗费
3. To completely destroy, especially by fire (v.t.)
   （尤指被火）吞噬；烧毁
4. (Formal/Literary) To fill someone with strong emotion (v.t.)
   使某人被强烈情绪占据；深深影响

Sample Sentences

1. Eat / Drink / Use
   
   1. She consumes a lot of vegetables every day.
      她每天吃很多蔬菜。
   2. The athletes consumed water during the break.
      运动员在休息期间喝了水。
   3. You shouldn’t consume too much sugar.
      你不应该摄入太多糖。
   4. This machine consumes a lot of energy.
      这台机器消耗大量能量。
   5. Tourists consume many local products during their trip.
      游客在旅行中会消耗很多当地产品。
2. Use in large amounts
   
   1. The project consumed most of our budget.
      这个项目耗掉了我们大部分预算。
   2. The car consumes too much fuel.
      这辆车油耗太高。
   3. Building the bridge consumed thousands of hours.
      建造这座桥耗费了数千小时。
   4. The new app consumes a lot of data.
      这个新应用程序耗费大量流量。
   5. His work consumes all his free time.
      他的工作占用了他所有的空闲时间。
3. Destroy, especially by fire
   
   1. The fire consumed the entire building.
      火焰吞噬了整栋建筑。
   2. The forest was consumed by flames overnight.
      森林一夜之间被大火吞噬。
   3. The paper quickly consumed in the fire.
      纸张迅速被火烧掉。
   4. The house was consumed before firefighters arrived.
      消防员到达前房子已经被烧毁了。
   5. Flames consumed everything in their path.
      火焰吞噬了前方的一切。
4. Filled with emotion
   
   1. She was consumed by guilt.
      她被内疚感吞噬。
   2. He was consumed with anger after the argument.
      争吵后他被愤怒淹没。
   3. They were consumed by fear during the storm.
      暴风雨中他们被恐惧笼罩。
   4. The artist was consumed by passion for his work.
      那位艺术家被对作品的激情所占据。
   5. She was consumed by curiosity.
      她被好奇心深深吸引。
5. Usage Scenarios (Simple English + Chinese)
   
   1. Daily life
      
      1. I consume two cups of water every morning.
         我每天早上喝两杯水。
      2. We consume food to stay healthy.
         我们吃食物来保持健康。
   2. Technology / Machines
      
      1. My phone consumes battery very fast.
         我的手机电池耗得很快。
      2. This computer consumes little power.
         这台电脑很省电。
   3. Fire / Disaster
      
      1. The fire consumed the small hut.
         火烧掉了小木屋。
      2. The flames consumed dry leaves.
         火焰吞噬了干树叶。
   4. Emotions
      
      1. She was consumed by sadness.
         她被悲伤笼罩。
      2. He was consumed by his dreams.
         他被自己的梦想深深牵动。

Cultural Notes

• Consume is more formal than “eat” or “use.”
  在英语里，consume 比 “eat” 或 “use” 更正式。
• In business and economics, “consume” often relates to “consumers” (消费者).
  在商业和经济领域中，“consume” 常与 “消费者（consumer）” 的概念相关。
• When describing emotions, Chinese more often uses verbs like “被…吞噬,” “充满,” not literal equivalents.
  在描述情绪时，中文更常用“被…吞噬”、“充满”等表达，而不是直接对应 consume 的字面意思。

Morphology

• con- (彻底、完全)
  前缀 con- 表示“完全地”。
• -sume (来自拉丁语 sumere，意为“拿、取、用”)
  后缀 -sume 来自拉丁语，表示“拿取、使用”。
• consume = “to completely use up”
  consume = “彻底使用或耗尽”

Common Collocations & Phrases

• consume energy → 消耗能量
  This machine consumes energy quickly.
  这台机器很快消耗能量。
• consume food/drinks → 吃/喝
  She consumes a lot of fruit.
  她吃很多水果。
• consume time → 耗费时间
  The task consumed two hours.
  这项任务耗费了两小时。
• be consumed by emotion → 被情绪吞噬
  He was consumed by anger.
  他被愤怒吞噬。
• consume resources → 消耗资源
  The system consumes many resources.
  这个系统消耗很多资源。

Synonyms & Antonyms (with differences)

1. Synonyms
   
   • use（使用）
     More general; less formal than consume.
     更常见、更不正式的用法。
   • devour（狼吞虎咽地吃）
     Stronger and more vivid than consume when talking about eating.
     描述吃东西时比 consume 更强烈、生动。
   • expend（耗费）
     Used especially with time, energy, or resources.
     常用于时间、精力、资源。
   • engulf（吞没）
     Used for fire or powerful forces; more dramatic.
     多用于火焰或强大力量，比 consume 更戏剧化。
2. Antonyms
   
   • save（节省）
     Opposite of using up.
     与“耗费”相反。
   • preserve（保存）
     Keep something in good condition, opposite of destroying.
     保持、保存，与“毁灭”相反。

Grammar Tips & Common Errors

• Tip 1: Don’t use “consume” casually for people eating in normal situations.
  不要在普通吃饭场景中使用 consume，它听起来太正式。
  Incorrect: He consumed lunch.
  Correct: He ate lunch.
• Tip 2: “Be consumed by/with + emotion” is a fixed structure.
  “be consumed by/with + 情绪” 是固定搭配。
  Example: She was consumed by fear.
  她被恐惧吞噬。
• Tip 3: Use consume for resources, energy, data, time.
  consume 常与资源、能量、流量、时间搭配。
  Example: The car consumes too much fuel.
  这辆车油耗太高。