eat like a horse

Meaning

This common idiom is used to describe someone who consistently eats very large amounts of food. Although it compares a person to an animal, it is generally lighthearted and friendly rather than insulting.

Examples

• My teenage brother eats like a horse but never seems to gain any weight.

  My teenage brother eats like a horse but never seems to gain any weight.

• After running the marathon, I was so hungry I could eat like a horse.

  After running the marathon, I was so hungry I could eat like a horse.

• Don't worry about having leftover food; Mark eats like a horse.

  Don't worry about having leftover food; Mark eats like a horse.

• She is so tiny, yet she eats like a horse whenever we go out.

  She is so tiny, yet she eats like a horse whenever we go out.

• You're eating like a horse today! Did you skip breakfast?

  You're eating like a horse today! Did you skip breakfast?

Common Mistakes

• ✗ He eats like a pig, he finishes everything.

  ✓ He eats like a horse, he finishes everything.

  To 'eat like a pig' means to eat messily or greedily, which is offensive. To 'eat like a horse' simply means to eat a large quantity.

• ✗ I am eating as a horse lately.

  ✓ I am eating like a horse lately.

  The idiom strictly uses 'like' to make the comparison, not 'as'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• My son is growing so fast that he has started to ___.

  💡 To eat huge quantities of food.

  Show answer

  eat like a horse

• You must ___ if you can finish that giant pizza by yourself.

  💡 A simile comparing appetite to a large farm animal.

  Show answer

  eat like a horse