eat definition eat definition 1

Eat — to put food into your mouth, chew it, and swallow it. People eat to get energy and stay healthy, usually at regular times like breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Part of speech:
verb
Phonetic transcription (IPA):
/iːt/
CEFR level:
A1
Word frequency:

How to Pronounce “Eat?”

flag uk Audio (UK):
Play
00:00 / 00:00
flag us Audio (US):
Play
00:00 / 00:00
Tips for “eat” pronunciation:

“Eat” sounds like EET, with a long ee sound, the same as in “see” or “tree.”

Level up your English with Koto!

Practical Sentences With the Word “Eat”

To define the verb “eat,” take a look at the following examples of real usage. Read these sentences aloud and try to create something similar on your own.

I eat eggs and bacon for breakfast every morning.
Sam ate all the cookies yesterday.
We were eating when the lights suddenly went out.
Anna eats slowly because she is enjoying every bite.
John eats like she hasn’t seen food in days.
eat in a sentence eat in a sentence 1

Conjugation of “Eat”

“Eat” is an irregular verb that has various forms depending on the tense, condition, or structure used. Mastering the complete conjugation of this word will help you correctly discuss your past, present, and future actions related to food or eating.

Indicative Forms of “Eat”

Tense 

I 

You 

He/She/It 

We 

They 

Present Simple 

eat 

eat 

eats 

eat 

eat 

Past Simple 

ate 

ate 

ate 

ate 

ate 

Future Simple 

will eat 

will eat 

will eat 

will eat 

will eat 

Present Continuous 

am eating 

are eating 

is eating 

are eating 

are eating 

Past Continuous 

was eating 

were eating 

was eating 

were eating 

were eating 

Future Continuous 

will be eating 

will be eating 

will be eating 

will be eating 

will be eating 

Present Perfect 

have eaten 

have eaten 

has eaten 

have eaten 

have eaten 

Past Perfect 

had eaten 

had eaten 

had eaten 

had eaten 

had eaten 

Future Perfect 

will have eaten 

will have eaten 

will have eaten 

will have eaten 

will have eaten 

Present Perfect Continuous

have been eating 

have been eating 

has been eating 

have been eating 

have been eating 

Past Perfect Continuous 

had been eating 

had been eating 

had been eating 

had been eating 

had been eating 

Future Perfect Continuous 

will have been eating 

will have been eating 

will have been eating 

will have been eating 

will have been eating 
Tip:

Remember “eats” is only for he/she/it in the Present Simple (She eats breakfast early). 

“Eat” Infinitive

Form

Structure

Full infinitive

to eat 

Bare infinitive

eat 

Perfect infinitive 

to have eaten 

Continuous infinitive 

to be eating 

Perfect continuous infinitive 

to have been eating 
Tip:

Use “to eat” after verbs like want, need, like (e.g., I want to eat).

Using “Eat” in Conditional Moods

Note: The forms below show only the “would” part of conditional structures, not full conditional sentences. 

Conditional form

I 

You

He/She/It

We 

They

Second Conditional 

would eat 

would eat 

would eat 

would eat 

would eat 

Conditional Present Continuous 

would be eating 

would be eating 

would be eating 

would be eating 

would be eating 

Third Conditional 

would have eaten 

would have eaten 

would have eaten 

would have eaten 

would have eaten 

Conditional Perfect Continuous 

would have been eating 

would have been eating 

would have been eating 

would have been eating 

would have been eating 
Tip:

Use “would eat” for imagined situations (I would eat more vegetables if I had time).

Past and Present Participles of “Eat”

Present participle

Past participle 

eating

eaten
Tip:

Always use “eaten” with have/has/had (I have eaten already, not I have ate).

Synonyms & Antonyms for “Eat”: Expand Your Vocabulary

Knowing these alternatives helps you choose the right tone, whether you’re speaking casually or describing something more specific in terms of eating.

Synonyms: consume devour chew dine have (e.g., have lunch)

Antonyms: fast starve abstain (from food) refrain (from eating)

Common Phrases and Collocations: “Eat”

The verb “eat” is collocated with a wide range of words that help to specify the timing, kind, and manner of eating. The collocational patterns of this word are frequent in everyday speech, particularly when discussing nutrition and dieting.

Type 

Verb / Phrase 

Object 

Verb + noun 

eat 

a meal 

eat 

breakfast/lunch/dinner 

eat 

food 

eat 

snacks 

eat 

dessert 

eat 

fruit/vegetables 

eat 

junk food 

Phrasal verbs 

eat out 

(at a restaurant) 

eat up 

(food completely) 

eat away at 

(something slowly, e.g. time/metal) 

eat into 

(profits/time) 

Noun phrases 

eating habits 

— 

eating disorder 

— 

eating area 

— 

Phrases

eat too much 

— 

eat slowly 

— 

eat on the go 

— 

“Eat” in Spanish, French, and German

Discover how to spell “eat” and properly pronounce this verb in other languages. Listen and repeat.

Language Word for “Eat”
Flag Spanish Spanish   Comer
Flag French French   Manger
Flag German German   Essen