# consume

> English word · Verb · IPA /kənˈsjuːm/ · frequency rank #8,528

## Definitions
1. To use up.
2. To eat.
3. To completely occupy the thoughts or attention of.
4. To destroy completely.
5. To waste away slowly.
6. To trade money for good or services as an individual.
7. To absorb information, especially through the mass media.

## Etymology
From Middle English consumen, from Old French consumer, from Latin cōnsūmere, cōnsūmō, from con- (“with, together”) + sūmō (“take; consume”), from sub- + emō (“to buy, take”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- (“to take, distribute”), possibly related to the root *nem- (“to take or give one's due”).

## Easily confused with
- **costume** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/consume-vs-costume)
- **consumer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/consume-vs-consumer)
- **consumed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/consume-vs-consumed)
- **consul** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/consul-vs-consume)
- **console** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/console-vs-consume)
- **consult** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/consult-vs-consume)
- **confuse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/confuse-vs-consume)
- **conjure** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/conjure-vs-consume)
- **censure** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/censure-vs-consume)

## Common misspellings (10)
`cconsume`, `cnosume`, `connsume`, `consmue`, `conssume`, `consuem`, `consumme`, `conusme`, `cosnume`, `ocnsume`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/consume