First Known Use: 1527
Dictionary
1consummate
adjective con·sum·mate \ˈkän(t)-sə-mət, kən-ˈsə-mət\
: very good or skillful
: very bad
Full Definition of CONSUMMATE
1
: complete in every detail : perfect
2
: extremely skilled and accomplished <a consummate liar> <a consummate professional>
3
: of the highest degree <consummate skill> <consummate cruelty>
— con·sum·mate·ly adverb
See consummate defined for English-language learners
See consummate defined for kids
ADVERTISEMENT
Examples of CONSUMMATE
- “How dare you!” Natalie screamed, in consummate frustration … —Joseph Wambaugh, The Black Marble, l978
- … Berg, the consummate schmoozer, was the perfect spy for the job. —Dick Teresi, New York Times Book Review, 24 July 1994
- To thrive in science, you must be both a consummate collaborator and a relentless competitor. —Natalie Angier, New York Times Book Review, 6 Nov. 1988
- The rest of his life (he lived for a few more years) was one great consummate silence. —R. K. Narayan, “Under the Banyan Tree,” in The Story and Its Writer, edited by Ann Charters, 1987
- [+]more
Origin of CONSUMMATE
Middle English consummat fulfilled, from Latin consummatus, past participle of consummare to sum up, finish, from com- + summa sum
Related to CONSUMMATE
- Synonyms
- accomplished, ace, adept, compleat, complete, proficient, crack, crackerjack, educated, experienced, expert, good, great, master, masterful, masterly, practiced (also practised), professed, skilled, skillful, versed, veteran, virtuoso
- Antonyms
- amateur, amateurish, inexperienced, inexpert, jackleg, unprofessional, unseasoned, unskilled, unskillful
2consummate
verb con·sum·mate \ˈkän(t)-sə-ˌmāt\
: to make (a marriage or romantic relationship) complete by having sex
: to make (something) perfect or complete
con·sum·mat·edcon·sum·mat·ing
Full Definition of CONSUMMATE
transitive verb
2
: to make (marital union) complete by sexual intercourse <consummate a marriage>
intransitive verb
: to become perfected
— con·sum·ma·tive \ˈkän(t)-sə-ˌmā-tiv, kən-ˈsə-mə-tiv\ adjective
— con·sum·ma·tor \ˈkän(t)-sə-ˌmāt-ər\ noun
See consummate defined for English-language learners
Examples of CONSUMMATE
- In part she had loved him for that, loved the tender understanding with which he had acquiesced to her wish not to consummate their relationship out of wedlock. —Dorothy West, The Wedding, 1995
- Once the sale was consummated, a thorough housecleaning took place in the advertising department … —Brendan Gill, New York Times Book Review, 4 Oct. 1987
- By prolonging the suspense and terror, he was needlessly delaying the reconciliation he himself was yearning so dearly to consummate. —Joseph Heller, God Knows, 1984
- [+]more
Origin of CONSUMMATE
(see 1consummate)
First Known Use: 1530
Rhymes with CONSUMMATE
abdicate, abnegate, abrogate, acclimate, acerbate, acetate, activate, actuate, acylate, adsorbate, advocate, adulate, adumbrate, aggravate, aggregate, agitate, allocate, altercate, ambulate, amputate, animate, annotate, annulate, antedate, antiquate, apartheid, apostate, approbate, arbitrate, arcuate, arrogate, aspirate, auscultate, automate, aviate, bantamweight, Bering Strait, bifurcate, billingsgate, bipinnate, boilerplate, bombinate, brachiate, buffer state, cabinmate, cachinnate, calculate, calibrate, caliphate, candidate, cannulate, cantillate, capitate, captivate, carbonate, carbon-date, carinate, carload rate, castigate, catenate, cavitate, celebrate, cerebrate, chlorinate, circinate, circulate, city-state, client state, cogitate, colligate, collimate, collocate, commentate, commutate, compensate, complicate, concentrate, condensate, confiscate, conglobate, conjugate, consecrate, constellate, consternate, constipate, contemplate, copperplate, copulate, coronate, correlate, corrugate, coruscate, counterweight, crepitate, criminate, cruciate, cucullate, culminate, cultivate, cumulate, cuneate, cupulate, cuspidate, cyclamate, Davis Strait, deaerate, decimate, decollate, decorate, decussate, defalcate, defecate, deflagrate, dehydrate, delegate, demarcate, demonstrate, denigrate, Denmark Strait, depilate, deviate, deprecate, depredate, derivate, derogate, desecrate, desiccate, designate, desolate, desquamate, detonate, devastate, deviate, digitate, diplomate, discarnate, dislocate, dissertate, dissipate, distillate, divagate, dominate, double date, edentate, educate, elevate, elongate, eluate, emanate, emigrate, emirate, emulate, enervate, ephorate, escalate, estimate, estivate, excavate, exchange rate, exculpate, execrate, expiate, explicate, expurgate, exsiccate, extirpate, extricate, exudate, fabricate, fascinate, fashion plate, featherweight, fecundate, federate, fenestrate, festinate, fibrillate, first estate, flagellate, flocculate, fluctuate, fluoridate, foliate, formulate, fornicate, fourth estate, fractionate, fragmentate, fulminate, fumigate, fustigate, geminate, generate, germinate, glaciate, Golden Gate, graduate, granulate, gratulate, gravitate, heavyweight, hebetate, herniate, hesitate, hibernate, Hudson Strait, hundredweight, hyphenate, ideate, imamate, imbricate, imitate, immigrate, immolate, impetrate, implicate, imprecate, impregnate, incarnate, increate, incubate, inculcate, inculpate, incurvate, indagate, indicate, indurate, infiltrate, in-line skate, in-migrate, innervate, innovate, insensate, inspissate, instigate, insulate, interstate, intestate, intimate, intonate, intraplate, inundate, invocate, iodate, irrigate, irritate, isolate, iterate, jubilate, juniorate, lacerate, laminate, Latinate, laureate, legislate, levigate, levitate, liberate, license plate, liquidate, litigate, littermate, lubricate, macerate, machinate, magistrate, marginate, margravate, marinate, masticate, masturbate, maturate, mediate, medicate, meditate, meliorate, menstruate, microstate, micturate, middleweight, militate, mithridate, mitigate, moderate, modulate, motivate, multistate, mutilate, nation-state, nauseate, navigate, neonate, nictitate, niobate, nominate, numerate, obfuscate, objurgate, obligate, obovate, obviate, on a plate, operate, opiate, orchestrate, ordinate, oscillate, osculate, out-migrate, out-of-date, overstate, overweight, ovulate, paginate, palliate, palpitate, paperweight, patinate, peculate, penetrate, pennyweight, percolate, perennate, perforate, permeate, perpetrate, personate, police state, pollinate, populate, postulate, potentate, predicate, procreate, profligate, promulgate, propagate, prorogate, pullulate, pulmonate, punctuate, quantitate, rabbinate, radiate, real estate, recreate, re-create, reinstate, relegate, relocate, remonstrate, renovate, replicate, reprobate, resonate, retardate, retranslate, roller-skate, roseate, rubricate, ruinate, ruminate, runagate, running mate, rusticate, sagittate, salivate, sanitate, satiate, saturate, scintillate, second-rate, segregate, self-portrait, separate, sequestrate, seriate, sibilate, silver plate, simulate, sinuate, situate, speculate, spoliate, stablemate, starting gate, steady state, stimulate, stipulate, strangulate, stridulate, stylobate, subjugate, sublimate, subrogate, subulate, suffocate, sultanate, Sunda Strait, supplicate, surrogate, syncopate, syndicate, tablemate, tabulate, target date, terminate, tessellate, tête-à-tête, thirty-eight, titillate, titivate, tolerate, transmigrate, transudate, tribulate, tribunate, trifurcate, trilobate, tripinnate, triplicate, tunicate, turbinate, ulcerate, ululate, umbellate, uncinate, underrate, understate, underweight, undulate, ungulate, urinate, vaccinate, vacillate, validate, valuate, variate, vegetate, venerate, ventilate, vertebrate, vicarate, vindicate, violate, vitiate, water gate, Watergate, welfare state, welterweight
Learn More About CONSUMMATE
Browse
Next Word in the Dictionary: consummationPrevious Word in the Dictionary: consumingnessAll Words Near: consummate
ADVERTISEMENT
Seen & Heard
What made you want to look up consummate? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).