devorar
/deboˈɾaɾ/
To gobble in Spanish is devorar.
The verb devorar is used to describe the act of eating food hastily or greedily.
Meaning: to eat hastily or greedily (verb)
Which one should you use?
While devorar is a standard way to express the idea, other verbs can change the tone of the sentence. Engullir is a more formal way to imply eating swiftly and greedily, whereas Tragar is a colloquial option for expressing the same idea. If you are in a casual conversation, you might also use the informal verb Zampar to describe gobbling down food.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of devorar is devorado, and the gerund form is devorando.
How do you pronounce it?
/deboˈɾaɾ/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the verb tragar can be used in the expression tragar sapos, which literally means 'to swallow toads' but actually means to endure unpleasant situations without complaining.
- The verb zampar is often used to describe not just eating greedily, but also 'snatching' or stealing something quickly, such as a piece of candy from a bowl.
- The verb tragar is used in the common phrase tragar saliva, which translates to 'swallowing saliva' but describes the act of gulping nervously in a tense situation.
Examples in context
- Devoró la comida en un santiaménHe gobbled down the food in no time
- El niño engulló todo el pastel sin dejar ni una migajaThe child gobbled the entire cake without leaving a crumb
- ¡Qué hambre tengo! Voy a zamparme esta hamburguesaI'm so hungry! I'm going to gobble up this hamburger
- Se devoró la hamburguesa en dos segundos.He gobbled up the hamburger in two seconds.
- No puedes devorar toda la pizza tú solo.You can't gobble up all the pizza by yourself.
- El niño empezó a devorar su hamburguesa.The boy started to gobble down his hamburger.
Example conversation
María and Alejandro are having lunch at a park.
- MaríaAlejandro, no puedes devorar el sándwich así.Alejandro, you can't gobble the sandwich like that.
- AlejandroLo siento, tengo mucha hambre.I'm sorry, I am very hungry.
- MaríaPero vas a devorar la comida sin masticar.But you are going to gobble the food without chewing.
- AlejandroTienes razón, comeré más despacio.You're right, I will eat more slowly.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry devorar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
