breakfast
Americannoun
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the first meal of the day; morning meal.
A hearty breakfast was served at 7 a.m.
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the food eaten at the first meal of the day.
a breakfast of bacon and eggs.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
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the first meal of the day
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( as modifier )
breakfast cereal
a breakfast room
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the food at this meal
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(in the Caribbean) a midday meal
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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breakfastsimple
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breakfastssimple
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have breakfastedperfect
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has breakfastedperfect
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am breakfastingprogressive
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are breakfastingprogressive
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is breakfastingprogressive
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have been breakfastingperfect progressive
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has been breakfastingperfect progressive
Past
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breakfastedsimple
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had breakfastedperfect
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was breakfastingprogressive
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were breakfastingprogressive
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had been breakfastingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of breakfast
First recorded in 1425–75, breakfast is from the late Middle English word brekfast. See break, fast 2
Explanation
Breakfast is the first meal of the day, usually eaten in the morning. Eating a healthy breakfast may give you a boost of energy to start your day. The word breakfast comes from the idea of "breaking the fast" after a night of sleeping. A fast is a period of not eating. During sleep, the body goes without food for hours, so when you eat breakfast, you stop fasting and start eating again, restoring energy for the day ahead. Breakfast foods vary widely depending on culture and personal preference. Eggs, cereal, toast, pancakes, and fruit are commonly eaten for breakfast in some places. In other places, soup, salad, fish, and rice are preferred.
Vocabulary lists containing breakfast
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
That meant improving service speeds, making stores more welcoming, and punching up the menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
It follows a similar uproar in 2022 when Cracker Barrel faced online backlash from some customers after adding plant-based sausages to its breakfast menu.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
She makes breakfast for her 87-year-old father and then rides her motorbike to her job as a health aide to 22 other elderly people in this poor farming village west of Bangkok.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Serve it for breakfast, brunch or as a light first course; that flexibility is part of its charm.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
Duane sauntered over to the mouth of his cave and snapped off a hanging icicle for breakfast.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
Those staying in hotels, self-catering apartments, holiday lets such as AirBnbs, aparthotels, bed and breakfasts, guest houses and hostels are all eligible.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Even as cases of cyclosporiasis rise in the U.S., you don’t have to avoid berry breakfasts and Caesar salads.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Neighbors hosted pancake breakfasts and spaghetti nights to raise money for lawyers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
These breakfasts produce a rapid glucose spike and an insulin response early in the day.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 21, 2026
The breakfasts started in the Connecticut home of a partner in Goldman Sachs but grew so large they had to move to a local church.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
In the morning, congratulating myself on not having used the emergency phone, I breakfasted on cloudberry doughnuts and homemade dried reindeer.
From The New Yorker ● Apr. 22, 2019
We had breakfasted there a little while ago.
From New York Times ● Aug. 29, 2016
Mitt Romney in 2012 famously declared in Mississippi that he'd just breakfasted on "a biscuit and some cheesy grits" — drawing groans from a crowd who knew he meant cheese grits.
From US News ● Feb. 19, 2016
The well-heeled passengers breakfasted on smoked salmon and pastries, then boarded an air-conditioned Cuban government bus for a day of touring the city.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 7, 2015
It was hustle and bustle getting everyone washed and dressed and breakfasted.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
Clients include breakfasting Qataris, construction and security guards off overnight shifts and, this week, tourists in soccer jerseys descending on the country, where foreigners, mostly migrant workers, form the bulk of the 3 million population.
From Reuters ● Nov. 24, 2022
In the future, you could be breakfasting on false banana or snacking on pandanus tree fruit.
From BBC ● May 21, 2022
Bonus: This quirk makes stollen the ideal make-ahead treat for all your holiday gifting, breakfasting, and last-minute company needs.
From Salon ● Dec. 24, 2021
Wipe with vinegar: Prep the kitchen and pantry for early breakfasting and quick lunch packing.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 9, 2021
Like Mr. Clutter, the young man breakfasting in a cafe called the Little Jewel never drank coffee.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
