devour
UK: dɪˈvaʊə | US: dɪˈvaʊər
vt. to eat something hungrily or quickly
vt. to consume or destroy something intensely (e.g., fire, emotions)
vt. (figuratively) to absorb or engulf completely (e.g., attention, time)
"Devour" traces back to Latin devorare, combining de- (thoroughly) and vorare (to swallow). The word vividly depicts the act of eating greedily, later extending metaphorically to describe anything consumed with similar intensity (e.g., flames devouring a forest, or a reader devouring a book). The root -vour appears in other English words related to eating, reinforcing its semantic core.
The lion devoured its prey in minutes.
Flames devoured the wooden house within hours.
She devoured the novel in one sitting.
The scandal devoured the media’s attention for weeks.
His jealousy devoured him, leaving no room for rational thought.