digest: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Formal to neutral
Quick answer
What does “digest” mean?
To break down food in the stomach and intestines so the body can absorb nutrients.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To break down food in the stomach and intestines so the body can absorb nutrients.
To understand and absorb information mentally; to arrange information in a systematic way; a compilation or summary of information.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Both use the word with the same core meanings. The noun form 'digest' (as in a summary) is slightly more formal in both varieties.
Connotations
Similar connotations in both varieties. The verb can imply a slow, thorough process whether literal or figurative.
Frequency
Similar frequency. The figurative use ('digest the news') is common in both.
Grammar
How to Use “digest” in a Sentence
[Subject] digests [Object] (e.g., She digested the report).[Subject] is difficult/easy to digest (e.g., The data was hard to digest).Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “digest” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- It can take hours to digest a heavy meal like a Sunday roast.
- He needed the weekend to digest all the feedback from his tutor.
American English
- Some people have a hard time digesting gluten.
- Let me digest the proposal and I'll get back to you tomorrow.
adverb
British English
- N/A (No standard adverb form.)
American English
- N/A (No standard adverb form.)
adjective
British English
- N/A (No standard adjective form. 'Digestible' is used.)
American English
- N/A (No standard adjective form. 'Digestible' is used.)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in reports or meetings: 'Give me a moment to digest these figures before we decide.'
Academic
Used to describe cognitive processing: 'Students need time to digest complex theoretical material.'
Everyday
Common in health and news contexts: 'I can't digest dairy.' / 'It took me a day to digest what had happened.'
Technical
In biology/medicine: 'Enzymes help digest proteins.' In computing: 'The server digests the data packet.'
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “digest”
Strong
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “digest”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “digest”
- Confusing the verb and noun pronunciation stress (verb: di-GEST, noun: DI-gest).
- Using 'digest' to mean simply 'read' instead of 'absorb and understand'.
- Misspelling as 'diguest' or 'dijest'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Summarize' means to give a brief statement of main points. 'Digest' (as a noun) is the resulting summary itself. As a verb, 'digest' means to absorb and understand that information fully.
It is neutral to formal. The literal meaning (biological digestion) is neutral. The figurative meaning (absorbing information) and the noun form (a compilation) are more common in formal or written contexts.
The verb is stressed on the second syllable: di-GEST. The noun is stressed on the first syllable: DI-gest. This stress shift is common in English (e.g., record, present).
Yes. In computing, 'digest' often refers to processing or condensing data, such as in 'message digest' (a cryptographic hash function) or a 'news digest' (a summary of updates).
To break down food in the stomach and intestines so the body can absorb nutrients.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Food for thought (related conceptually, but not a direct idiom with 'digest')”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of your stomach digesting a big meal. Your brain does the same with information – it takes it in and breaks it down to use it.
Conceptual Metaphor
UNDERSTANDING IS DIGESTION (The mind is a stomach for ideas).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'digest' used as a NOUN?