What does consumedly mean?
"Consumedly" is a literary adverb meaning "to an extreme degree" — exceedingly or intensely. It attaches chiefly to adjectives describing disposition or quality, so one might be consumedly shy, consumedly proud, or consumedly dull. Formed from the verb "consume" with the adverbial ending "-edly", it implies something taken to excess, even immoderately. The word flourished in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and is a favourite of Victorian novelists, appearing repeatedly in the works of Charles Dickens and his contemporaries, where characters are forever being consumedly stupid or consumedly obliging. Today it is rare in everyday speech and reads as distinctly old-fashioned, though writers sometimes revive it for comic or period flavour. For learners, it is best understood as a colourful synonym of "exceedingly" whose charm lies in its very quaintness — a reminder of how English adverbs can be built from unexpected sources.
To an extreme degree; exceedingly, intensely.
"He was consumedly fond of argument and would debate any subject at length."
Chiefly literary and somewhat dated; typically placed immediately before the adjective it intensifies.
To an excessive or improper degree; immoderately.
"The hostess was consumedly attentive, refilling glasses the moment they were half-empty."
This sense shades into criticism, suggesting behaviour carried beyond what is reasonable.
Charles Dickens loved this word — his characters are forever being "consumedly" shy, proud, or dull — yet today it survives mainly on the printed page, a Victorian flourish hiding inside plain English parts.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of consumedly
"Consumedly" derives from the verb "consume", which entered English from Latin "consumere", meaning to use up, spend, or destroy, itself formed from "com-" (altogether) plus "sumere" (to take). The adverb was formed in English by adding the suffix "-edly", producing a form meaning "in a consuming, that is, extreme manner." It became established in literary usage by the seventeenth century and was especially popular in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century writing. Its relatives include "consume", "consumption", "consumer", and "consumptive", all descending from the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How consumedly is actually used
"Consumedly" belongs to formal and literary register and now sounds dated or deliberately archaic; it is used chiefly before adjectives or participles (especially ones describing temperament, such as shy, proud, or dull). The word was especially fashionable in 19th-century fiction and conversation, and modern writers who use it often do so for period effect or gentle humour.
Easily confused with consumedly
"Consumed" means eaten, used up, or overwhelmed (often by emotion), whereas "consumedly" is an adverb meaning "to an extreme degree" and modifies adjectives rather than describing a person or thing.