wolf down

Meaning

To eat food very quickly, eagerly, and often greedily, in large bites. This is a vivid phrasal verb usually used when someone is extremely hungry or in a massive rush.

Examples

• He was so hungry after the game that he wolfed down three slices of pizza in a minute.

  He was so hungry after the game that he wolfed down three slices of pizza in a minute.

• Don't wolf your dinner down like that; you'll get a stomachache!

  Don't wolf your dinner down like that; you'll get a stomachache!

• She had only ten minutes between meetings, so she wolfed down a quick sandwich.

  She had only ten minutes between meetings, so she wolfed down a quick sandwich.

• The dog wolfed down his food the second I put the bowl on the floor.

  The dog wolfed down his food the second I put the bowl on the floor.

• I watched him wolf down the entire plate of pancakes without stopping for air.

  I watched him wolf down the entire plate of pancakes without stopping for air.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ He wolfed down of his breakfast.

  ✓ He wolfed down his breakfast.

  'Wolf down' is a transitive phrasal verb that takes a direct object. Do not use the preposition 'of'.

• ✗ She was eating like a wolf down.

  ✓ She was wolfing down her food.

  'Wolf down' is a verb phrase, not a noun or adverb. You must conjugate 'wolf' as the main verb.

Related Expressions

Practice

• He was late for school, so he quickly ___ his cereal and ran out the door.

  💡 Use the past tense form of the verb.

  Show answer

  wolfed down

• Slow down! If you ___ your lunch, you won't even taste it.

  💡 Present tense verb phrase meaning to eat very quickly.

  Show answer

  wolf down