eat
Elementary (A2)
IPA: /iːt/
KK: /it/
intransitive verb
Definition
To consume food or have a meal; to take in nourishment.
Example
I usually eat breakfast at 7 AM.
Tense Forms
Past: ate
Past Participle: eaten
Conversation
What do you want to do for dinner tonight?
I don’t know, but I’m really hungry and I just want to eat.
Same here! Maybe we can grab some pizza?
That sounds perfect; I could definitely go for some pizza to eat!
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
consume
devour
ingest
Antonyms
fast
diet
starve
noun
Definition
A small amount of food that is eaten, often as a snack or light meal.
Example
I packed some eat for the road trip.
Conversation
Do you have anything to eat at your place?
I think I have some snacks, but not much else.
I could really go for a light eat right now.
transitive verb
Definition
To take in food through the mouth and swallow it.
Example
I like to eat pizza for dinner.
Tense Forms
Past: ate
Past Participle: eaten
Conversation
What do you want to eat for dinner tonight?
I’m in the mood for pizza!
Sounds great! I can eat pizza any day.
Root Explanation
The word 'eat' originates from Old English 'etan', meaning to consume food. It has Germanic roots, related to similar words in other Germanic languages, such as Old High German 'ezzan' and Dutch 'eten'.
Memory Tip
Think of the Old English word 'etan' which means to consume food — this helps you remember that 'eat' is all about consuming food.
Visually Confused Words
yeat
teat
seat
peat
neat
meat
leat
heat