He exploits people's weaknesses.
There's nothing to eat in the fridge.
He is particular about food.
Figurative use: a person or thing exploited or taken advantage of, like prey.
For scammers, the elderly are easy prey.
He fell victim to a fraudulent business practice.
We searched for food in the mountains.
Poor people were exploited by unscrupulous businesses.
This is delicious food.
食べ物 is the neutral, standard word for food, while 食い物 sounds rougher and more colloquial, often used by men or in casual speech.
餌食 is a more literary word for a victim or prey, often implying being consumed or sacrificed, while 食い物 in this sense is a more common, blunt expression for someone being exploited.
食物 is a formal, written term for food used in scientific or official contexts, whereas 食い物 is a blunt, everyday spoken word.
eatery; restaurant
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency news ranking.
Alternate kanji spelling, but can be confused with しょくもつ.
Compound of 食い (stem of 食う 'to eat') + 物 'thing'. The figurative sense developed from the idea of something being 'eaten' or exploited.