eat

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English Vietnamese dictionary

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Advanced English dictionary

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1 to put food in your mouth, chew it and swallow it: [V] I was too nervous to eat. + She doesn't eat sensibly (= doesn't eat food that is good for her). + [VN] I don't eat meat. + Would you like something to eat? + I couldn't eat another thing (= I have had enough food).
2 [V] to have a meal: Where shall we eat tonight? + We ate at a pizzeria in town.
Idioms: eat sb alive (informal)
1 to criticize or punish sb severely because you are extremely angry with them: He'll eat you alive if he ever finds out.
2 to defeat sb completely in an argument, a competition, etc: The defence lawyers are going to eat you alive tomorrow.
3 [usually passive] (of insects, etc.) to bite sb many times: I was being eaten alive by mosquitoes.
eat your heart out! (spoken) used to compare two things and say that one of them is better: Look at him dance! Eat your heart out, John Travolta (= he dances even better than John Travolta).
eat your heart out (for sb/sth) (especially BrE) to feel very unhappy, especially because you want sb/sth you cannot have: I'm not going to mope at home, eating my heart out for some man.
eat humble pie (BrE) (AmE eat crow) to say and show that you are sorry for a mistake that you made
ORIGIN From a pun on the old word umbles, meaning 'offal', which was considered inferior food.
eat like a horse (informal) to eat a lot: She may be thin, but she eats like a horse.
eat out of your / sb's hand to trust sb and be willing to do what they say: She'll have them eating out of her hand in no time.
eat sb out of house and home (informal, often humorous) to eat a lot of sb else's food: How much longer is he staying? He's eating us out of house and home.
eat your words to admit that what you said was wrong
I could eat a horse (spoken) used to say that you are very hungry
I'll eat my hat (spoken) used to say that you think sth is very unlikely to happen: If she's here on time, I'll eat my hat!
what's eating him, etc.? (spoken) used to ask what sb is annoyed or worried about
more at CAKE n., DOG n.
Phrasal Verbs: eat sth<->away to reduce or destroy sth gradually: The coastline is being eaten away year by year.
eat away at sth/sb
1 to reduce or destroy sth gradually: Woodworm had eaten away at the door frame. + His constant criticism ate away at her self-confidence.
2 to worry sb over a period of time: The thought of her child left helpless and alone ate away at her.
eat into sth
1 to use up a part of sth, especially sb's money or time: Those repair bills have really eaten into my savings.
2 to destroy or damage the surface of sth: Rust had eaten into the metal.
eat out to have a meal in a restaurant, etc. rather than at home: Do you feel like eating out tonight?
eat up
eat sth<->up to eat all of sth: Eat up! We've got to go out soon. + Come on. Eat up your potatoes.
eat sb up [usually passive] to fill sb with a particular emotion so that they cannot think of anything else: She was eaten up by regrets.
eat sth<->up to use sth in large quantities: Legal costs had eaten up all the savings she had.

Thesaurus dictionary

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v.

dine, lunch, breakfast, sup, break bread, snack, have a bite; consume, devour, take (in) nourishment, Colloq put or pack away, Slang nosh, put or tie on the nosebag or US and Canadian feed-bag:

I'm not hungry, thank you: I've already eaten.

Collocation dictionary

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ADV.

well

We ate very well most of the time (= had lots of nice food).

| healthily, properly, sensibly

trying to eat more healthily He had not eaten properly for days. She doesn't eat sensibly (= doesn't eat food that is good for her).

| hungrily | sparingly

Barton did not feel very hungry and ate sparingly.

| up

Come on, eat up your lunch.

VERB + EAT

get yourself sth to, find sth to, have sth to

Have you got anything to eat?

| have enough to | try and/to

Try and eat something. It will do you good.

PHRASES

eat and drink

Go and get yourself something to eat and drink.

| eat like a horse

(= eat a lot)She's very thin but she eats like a horse!

Concise English dictionary

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ate|eaten|eats|eatingiːt
verb
+take in solid food
+eat a meal; take a meal
+take in food; used of animals only
+use up (resources or materials)
+worry or cause anxiety in a persistent way
+cause to deteriorate due to the action of water, air, or an acid