Select the most appropriate meaning of the underlined idiom in the given sentence.

It was a lavish birthday party and I could see my friend eat like a horse.

eating excessively

The most appropriate meaning of the underlined idiom in the given sentence is (1) eating excessively.

The idiom "eat like a horse" means to eat a lot of food. It is often used to describe someone who has a big appetite or who is very hungry.

In the given sentence, the speaker is saying that their friend ate a lot of food at the birthday party. This is because the party was lavish and there was a lot of food available.

The other options do not fit the meaning of the idiom.

• Eating what horses eat means to eat grass and hay.
• Eating differently means to eat in a way that is different from what is normal.
• Hardly eating means to eat very little.