Wolf down
Meaning
To eat food very quickly and often greedily, consuming it in large mouthfuls.
Origin
Picture the relentless predator: a wolf, its hunger sharp, eyes fixed on its meal. When it finally corners its prey, there's no leisurely dining—only a swift, voracious consumption, tearing and swallowing with primal speed. This raw, instinctual act, deeply observed by humans living alongside these wild animals, gave rise to the phrase 'wolf down'. Emerging fully formed in the 19th century, it vividly captured the human tendency to eat food with such rapid, almost savage greed that it mirrors the untamed feast of a wolf in the wilderness.
Examples
- After finishing his marathon, he was so hungry that he proceeded to wolf down three burgers in under ten minutes.
- She had to wolf down her breakfast before rushing out the door to catch her train.