1 A2 neutral
To eat a meal at home instead of going to a restaurant.
"We decided to eat in tonight because it was raining and we didn't feel like going out."
inseparable
eat in
A2 neutral inseparable intransitive
To have a meal at home rather than at a restaurant.
In plain English
To stay home and eat there instead of going to a restaurant.
What does "eat in" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To eat inside (the home) — fully transparent.
Actually means
To stay home and eat there instead of going to a restaurant.
Usage tip
Very common in everyday British and American English. Simple, transparent, and widely used by all age groups. Often used when deciding between cooking at home or going out. Restaurants also use 'dine in' as a fancier version in marketing.
Words that pair with "eat in"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
tonight usually prefer decide rather instead
How to conjugate "eat in"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
eat in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
eats in
he/she/it
Past simple
ate in
yesterday
Past participle
eaten in
have + pp
-ing form
eating in
continuous
Hear "eat in" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "eat in" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.