eaten
A1Neutral
Definition
Meaning
Past participle of 'eat'; describes the action of having consumed food.
More broadly, to have consumed, used up, corroded, or been affected by something. Can describe the action of insects or rust. Figuratively, to have deeply worried or bothered someone.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
'Eaten' is exclusively the past participle form; the simple past is 'ate'. It requires an auxiliary verb (have/had) to form perfect tenses.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical difference, but frequency in specific phrases may vary (e.g., 'have you eaten?' vs. 'did you eat?' in informal US speech).
Connotations
Identical.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[SBJ] have/had eaten [OBJ][SBJ] be eaten by [AGENT][SBJ] be eaten away/upVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “eaten up with jealousy/worry”
- “have your cake and eat it”
- “dog-eat-dog”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare; used metaphorically: 'Our profits were eaten up by inflation.'
Academic
Used literally (biology, nutrition) or figuratively (economics, corrosion science).
Everyday
Extremely common for discussing meals.
Technical
Used in contexts like 'acid-etched' (similar to 'eaten away'), corrosion, pest damage.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- I haven't eaten yet.
- The moths have eaten holes in my jumper.
American English
- Have you eaten lunch?
- The acid had eaten through the metal plate.
adjective
British English
- He presented a half-eaten apple.
- She felt eaten up with guilt.
American English
- There was an eaten-away section of the fence.
- He had an eaten-alive look about him.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I have eaten an orange.
- The cake is all eaten.
- Have you ever eaten sushi?
- The rust had eaten a hole in the car door.
- He was eaten up with envy after seeing their new house.
- The software update has eaten up all my storage space.
- The company's aggressive expansion strategy has eaten into its cash reserves.
- Her confidence was slowly eaten away by the constant criticism.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'EAT' + 'EN' as the action being 'EN'ded or completed.
Conceptual Metaphor
PROBLEMS ARE FOOD THAT CONSUMES YOU ('The problem ate away at him'). TIME/COSTS ARE CONSUMERS ('The project ate up all our time').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with simple past 'ate' ('ел/ела'). Russian uses different aspect (съел) for perfective. Avoid direct translation of 'I am eaten' as physical state.
Common Mistakes
- *I eaten breakfast (missing auxiliary 'have').
- *He has ate (wrong participle).
- *It is ate (confusion with adjective).
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'eaten' correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily the past participle of the verb 'eat'. It can function as a participial adjective (e.g., 'the eaten apple').
'Ate' is the simple past tense and stands alone (I ate). 'Eaten' is the past participle and must be used with an auxiliary verb like 'have' or 'had' (I have eaten).
Only in the passive voice (e.g., 'I am eaten by mosquitoes') or figuratively as an adjective ('I am eaten up with worry'). You cannot use it to mean 'I have eaten'.
Irregular. The base form is 'eat', simple past is 'ate', past participle is 'eaten'.