What are the different ways to say “to eat” in German?

If there’s one thing Germans love more than food, it’s the act of eating it. Appropriately, there are many colorful words to describe this type of activity, depending both on the nature of the meal and the way in which it’s consumed. Here are some of our favorites:

(Note: Some translations are necessarily approximate)

“essen” - “to eat”
“aufessen” - “to eat everything/to finish one’s food”
“fressen” - “to eat like an animal”
“verschlingen” - “to devour”
“reinhauen” - “to dig in”
“mampfen” - “to munch”
“(sich) vollstopfen” - “to stuff (oneself)”
“runterschlingen” - “to gobble up”
“futtern” - “to nosh”
“naschen/knabbern” - “to nibble/to snack”
“runterschlucken” - “to swallow”
“speisen” - “to dine”
“verdrücken/verputzen” - “to polish off”
“verzehren” - “to consume”
“schlemmen/spachteln” - “to feast”
“nagen” - “to gnaw”
“sich satt essen” - “to eat one’s fill”
“runterwürgen” - “to choke down”
“reinbaggern” - “to dig in”

Guten Appetit!