devour food

USAGE SUMMARY

"devour food" is a valid part of a sentence in written English.
You could use it when you want to express someone eating food rapidly and voraciously. For example, "The famished bear devoured food from the picnic basket in minutes."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

They devour food supplies and contaminate what they don't eat with feces and urine.

The New York Times - Science

It may follow traplines to cabins and devour food stocks or carry off portable items; its offensive odour permeates the invaded cabin.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The work was inspired by the growing obesity epidemic; World Health Organization statistics suggest that obesity has nearly doubled globally since 1980, a trend many blame on an expanded array of processed foods, including high-calorie energy drinks, and a tendency to devour food quickly rather than take the time to cook and savor a healthy meal.

Science Magazine

As if this doesn't sound bad enough, we often devour food while our mind is focused on other tasks at hand.

HuffPost

That's because the city's food waste might not be piled and prodded across a swathe of land but instead shoveled into tall enclosed tanks for anaerobic digestion, in which microorganisms devour food and other scraps, producing gases (mostly methane) that can be collected and used to fuel turbines and make electricity, or compressed into liquid fuel.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

It was the work of Horace Fletcher, who was inspired by the deplored American habit of devouring food, barely taking time to chew it.

The New York Times

In a process called swarming, the bacteria spray out gooey molecules that form a slippery carpet; they can then slither over it by whipping their tails, devouring food they encounter along the way.

The New York Times - Science

Here was a man who, as an athlete, had kept his carbohydrate intake to a minimum, devouring food like never before.

BBC

We pretend that somewhere, at one of the five or seven or 100 social engagements we are honouring simultaneously, there's one in which we're devouring food from the old days – fish, fowl, fresh meat.

BBC

'I'm a Scorpio, and Scorpios devour their food.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

There is a lot of this stuff about, but Wolf & Devour's food is accomplished and its lunches are sensibly priced at around the £6 mark.

The Guardian - Travel

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "devour food" when you want to emphasize the speed and eagerness with which someone is eating. For example, "After the long hike, the children devoured food."

Common error

Avoid using "devour food" in formal or professional writing, as it can sound too informal. Opt for more neutral phrases like "consume food" or "eat quickly" depending on the intended meaning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "devour food" functions as a verb phrase where 'devour' is the verb (action) and 'food' is the direct object. Ludwig AI confirms its validity in English sentences.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Encyclopedias

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "devour food" is a grammatically sound and valid phrase, as confirmed by Ludwig, used to vividly describe eating quickly and enthusiastically. While the phrase is more common in neutral to informal registers, its use in formal contexts is less frequent, suggesting a preference for more subdued alternatives like "consume food". While the phrase is infrequent, top sources like The New York Times and The Guardian still deem it acceptable for a variety of descriptive purposes, particularly when emphasizing speed and eagerness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

eat voraciously

Highlights the greediness or insatiability while eating.

consume rapidly

Emphasizes the speed of consumption.

gobble down

Implies eating quickly and often messily.

wolf down

Suggests eating greedily and quickly, like an animal.

eat greedily

Focuses on the eagerness and desire while eating.

scarf down

Suggests eating something very quickly and without much regard for manners.

feast on

Implies enjoying a large and delicious meal.

polish off

Indicates finishing food completely and quickly.

ingest quickly

A more formal way to express rapid consumption.

make short work of

Highlights the efficiency and speed with which the food is eaten.

FAQs

How can I use "devour food" in a sentence?

You can use "devour food" to describe someone eating quickly and enthusiastically. For example, "The hikers were so hungry that they devoured the food as soon as it was served."

What are some alternatives to "devour food"?

You can use alternatives like "eat voraciously", "consume rapidly", or "gobble down" depending on the context.

Is it appropriate to use "devour food" in formal writing?

While grammatically correct, "devour food" is generally considered informal. In formal writing, it's best to use more neutral terms like "consume" or "eat".

What does "devour food" emphasize compared to "eat food"?

"Devour food" emphasizes the speed, eagerness, and intensity of eating, while "eat food" is a more neutral and general term.