CONSUMPTIVE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does consumptive mean? 

• CONSUMPTIVE (noun)
  The noun CONSUMPTIVE has 1 sense:

1. a person with pulmonary tuberculosis

  Familiarity information: CONSUMPTIVE used as a noun is very rare.

• CONSUMPTIVE (adjective)
  The adjective CONSUMPTIVE has 2 senses:

1. tending to consume or use often wastefully

2. afflicted with or associated with pulmonary tuberculosis

  Familiarity information: CONSUMPTIVE used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CONSUMPTIVE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A person with pulmonary tuberculosis

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

consumptive; lunger; tubercular

Hypernyms ("consumptive" is a kind of...):

diseased person; sick person; sufferer (a person suffering from an illness)

• CONSUMPTIVE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Tending to consume or use often wastefully

Context example:

consumptive fires

Similar:

exploitative; exploitatory; exploitive (tending to exploit or make use of)

Antonym:

generative (having the ability to produce or originate)

Derivation:

consume (serve oneself to, or consume regularly)

consume (use up (resources or materials))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Afflicted with or associated with pulmonary tuberculosis

Context example:

a consumptive cough

Similar:

ill; sick (affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function)

 Context examples 

The family were not consumptive, and she was more inclined to hope than fear for her cousin, except when she thought of Miss Crawford; but Miss Crawford gave her the idea of being the child of good luck, and to her selfishness and vanity it would be good luck to have Edmund the only son.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)