← Dictionary

eats

/iːts/
IELTSAcademic
verb

Third-person singular present of the verb eat. It means to put food into your mouth and swallow it.

  • She eats lunch at noon.
  • My brother eats very quickly.
noun

Informal food or meals, especially in a restaurant or event context. This use is less common and more casual than the verb.

  • We grabbed some eats after work.
  • The party had good eats.

Adinary Nuance

Eats is not the base verb; it is the third-person singular form of eat. Use eats with he, she, or it: “She eats early.” Use eat with I, you, we, and they: “They eat early.” As a noun, eats is casual and often means food or meals, especially in spoken English.

In other languages

Vietnamese
ăn
Spanish
come
Chinese
吃
Japanese
食べる
Korean
먹다

Etymology

Eats comes from Old English etan, the base verb behind modern eat. The spelling with -s marks the present tense for he, she, or it.

Common phrases

eats luncheats outgood eatseats quickly

Synonyms

Related words

Frequently asked questions

Is eats the same as eat?
Not exactly. **Eats** is the form used with he, she, or it in the present tense.
Can eats be used as a noun?
Yes, but it is informal. It usually means food or meals.
Is good eats common in English?
It is understood, but it sounds casual and a little old-fashioned in some places.
How do I use eats in a sentence?
Say, “She eats breakfast at seven,” or “We got some eats after the movie.”