Japanese Conversation · Level 103
60 words
Japanese word
むさぼる
Pronunciation
Romajimusaboru
Meaning
- verbdevour
Example
彼は空腹で、食事をむさぼります。kare wa kū fuku de shoku ji o mu sa bo ri ma su
He devours his meal when he is hungry.
More examples
彼女は試験前に、参考書をむさぼるように読みました。kano jo wa shi ken mae ni san kō sho o mu sa bo ru yō ni yo mi ma shi ta
Before the exam, she read her reference book voraciously.
Core concept
Describes taking in or wanting something with a hungry eagerness that suggests excess and greed.
Common phrases
食事をむさぼるshoku ji o mu sa bo ru
devour a meal
Similar words
貪り食うmusaborikū: To eat with intense hunger and greed, often in large amounts.
がっつくgattsuku: To eat quickly and eagerly, often in a rough or unrestrained manner.
食い尽くすkuitsukusu: To consume all of something, leaving nothing behind.
Definition in Japanese
食べ物をむやみに多く食べる。また、欲しい物事を飽くことなく求める。ta be mono o mu ya mi ni ō ku ta be ru ma ta ho shi i mono goto o a ku ko to na ku moto me ru
Word origin
The word むさぼる (musaboru, "to consume greedily") is native Japanese, but its formation is uncertain; 貪る (musaboru, "to crave greedily") is a kanji spelling based on the sense of greed.
Usage tips
- Although むさぼる (musaboru) commonly describes greedy eating, its broader use for seeking knowledge or pleasure gives it a stronger sense of insatiability than simply devour.
Other meanings
- gorge onverb
- covetverb