consuming

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consume

An activity or feeling that consumes someone is taking up all their time and energy. It's like being totally absorbed in something.

When we talk about consuming, we usually mean it as an action of spending a lot of time or effort on something. For example, if you're working on a project for weeks straight without much break, your job might be consuming most of your life. Or maybe watching TV is so engaging that it's consuming all your free time – you just can't stop yourself from binge-watching the latest series. Sometimes, people use this word to describe strong emotions or feelings too – like a consuming fear of something or a consuming passion for music.

How common is "consuming"?

Word consuming is considered rare in modern English.
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.

Definitions

verb

To use up.
Example: The power plant consumes 30 tons of coal per hour.
To eat.
Example: Baby birds consume their own weight in food each day.
To completely occupy the thoughts or attention of.
Example: Desire consumed him.
To destroy completely.
Example: The building was consumed by fire.
To waste away slowly.
To trade money for good or services as an individual.
Example: If you consume this product while in Japan, you may be subject to consumption tax.
To absorb information, especially through the mass media.
Example: The Internet has changed the way we consume news.

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noun

Consumption; the process by which something is consumed

adjective

Holding one's attention or interest.
Example: a consuming passion

Real examples of "consuming" in context

Are we too fixated on protein? ⏲️ 6 Minute English

Entertainment

trend from America called fibre maxing, consuming lots of fibre by eating fibre-rich foods and

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