consumare

Consumare is an Italian verb of the first conjugation (endings -are). Its core meaning is to use up or eat something, but it also covers broader senses such as to finish, complete, or bring about the end of a process. Common uses include consuming food or drink, consuming resources, and consuming time. The verb can also express bringing a plan, a contract, or a relationship to full completion, for example in contexts such as consummating a marriage or carrying out a mission.

In addition to its literal sense of eating or drinking, consumare appears in figurative language. Phrases like consumare risorse (to deplete resources), consumare tempo (to spend or waste time), or consumare una campagna (to carry a campaign to its conclusion) show its extended applicability. The reflexive form consumarsi describes a process that exhausts or consumes someone or something, such as a person burning out or a passion consuming itself.

Etymology and cognates: consumare derives from Latin, related to the verb meaning to take up or use up, with comparable forms seen in other Romance languages such as French consommer and Spanish consumir. The everyday Italian sense emphasizes completion and sufficiency, while the variety of contexts often implies a sense of thorough or definitive action.

Usage notes: consumare is widely used in formal and informal Italian, with the usual tenses: ho consumato (present perfect), consumavo (imperfect), consumerò (future). It coexists with other verbs that indicate finishing or ending, like finire or terminare, but conveys a nuance of bringing something to its full end or using it up.