What does "feast" mean?
A holiday, festival, especially a religious one
Feast
/fiːst/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A holiday, festival, especially a religious one
- Grammar: feast is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: banquet, spread, allay, anniversary.
- Useful contrasts: bore, diet, disgust.
- Usage evidence: The first virtue of a painting is to be a feast for the eyes.
How to use "feast"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "feast" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "feast" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "feast" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "feast" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "feast" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "banquet" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "feast", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A holiday, festival, especially a religious one
"The seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord."
- 2 something experienced with great delight wordnet
- 3 A very large meal, often of a ceremonial nature.
"We had a feast to celebrate the harvest."
- 4 an elaborate party (often outdoors) wordnet
- 5 Something delightful
"It was a feast for the eyes."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 a meal that is well prepared and greatly enjoyed wordnet
- 7 a ceremonial dinner party for many people wordnet
Verb
- 1 To partake in a feast, or large meal. intransitive
"I feasted on turkey and dumplings."
- 2 gratify wordnet
- 3 To dwell upon (something) with delight. intransitive
"With my love's picture then my eye doth feast."
- 4 partake in a feast or banquet wordnet
- 5 To hold a feast in honor of (someone). transitive
"He that shall see this day, and live old age, Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbors And say “Tomorrow is Saint Crispian.”"
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 provide a feast or banquet for wordnet
- 7 To serve as a feast for; to feed sumptuously. obsolete, transitive
"1597–1598, Joseph Hall, Virgidemiarum Or once a week, perhaps, for novelty / Reez'd bacon-soords shall feast his family."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname from Middle English.
Example
"The first virtue of a painting is to be a feast for the eyes."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "feast"?
Common synonyms include: banquet, spread, allay, anniversary, appease, appreciate.
How do you use "feast" in a sentence?
The first virtue of a painting is to be a feast for the eyes.
How do you pronounce "feast"?
Pronounced /fiːst/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English feeste, feste, borrowed from Old French feste, from Late Latin festa, from the plural of Latin festum (“holiday, festival, feast”), from Proto-Italic *fēs-tos, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰéh₁s (“god, godhead, deity”); see also Ancient Greek θεός (theós, “god, goddess”). More at theo-. Doublet of fete, fiesta, and fest. Displaced Old English winhate.
Etymology 2
From Middle English feesten, festen, from Old French fester, from Medieval Latin festāre, from the noun. See above.
Etymology 3
From either Middle English fist (“fist”), perhaps a nickname for an aggressive person, or from Middle English fest (“fart”).