eat like a horse
eat like a horse
Meaning
- to eat a lot
- to have a very healthy appetite
- to eat voraciously, greedily, quickly, hungrily, maybe even savagely
- to devour food like an animal
- to enjoy your food a little too much
- to take more than one's fair share
- to eat far more than the average person
- to over indulge
Example Sentences
- He eats like a horse – there's never enough left for everyone else once he's been at the buffet.
- I've been eating like a horse since I've been pregnant. I know they say you're eating for two now, but this is ridiculous!
- I eat like a horse after a good walk along the beach – the sea air really stimulates my appetite!
- If you would stop eating like a horse in front of the guests, I wouldn't have to be so embarrassed to admit I'm related to you.
- I've been eating like a horse over Christmas. I'll have to go on a diet after the New Year.
Origin
Origin is unclear. It is often stated in the sources that the meaning seems to be paradoxical, as horses do not eat voraciously or greedily. They eat hay and they eat it slowly. But this is a common feature of idioms – they are often paradoxical, the meaning sometimes being the exact opposite the literal interpretation of the words.