feast

[feest]

See more synonyms for feast on Thesaurus.com

noun

any rich or abundant meal: The steak dinner was a feast.
a sumptuous entertainment or meal for many guests: a wedding feast.
something highly agreeable: The Rembrandt exhibition was a feast for the eyes.

a periodical celebration or time of celebration, usually of a religious nature, commemorating an event, person, etc.: Every year, in September, the townspeople have a feast in honor of their patron saint.

verb (used without object)

to have or partake of a feast; eat sumptuously.
to dwell with gratification or delight, as on a picture or view.

verb (used with object)

to provide or entertain with a feast.

Idioms

feast one's eyes, to gaze with great joy, admiration, or relish: to feast one's eyes on the Grand Canyon.

Origin of feast

1150–1200; Middle English feste < Old French < Latin fēsta, neuter plural (taken as feminine singular noun) of fēstus festal, festive, equivalent to fēs- (akin to fair²) + -tus adj. suffix

Related formsfeast·er, nounfeast·less, adjectiveout·feast, verb (used with object)o·ver·feast, verbpre·feast, nounun·feast·ed, adjective

Synonyms

See more synonyms for feast on Thesaurus.com

2. Feast, banquet imply large social events, with an abundance of food. A feast is a meal with a plenteous supply of food and drink for a large company: to provide a feast for all company employees. A banquet is an elaborate feast for a formal and ceremonious occasion: the main speaker at a banquet.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for feast

Contemporary Examples

It was known as the feast of Akitu, and it was celebrated in April.
New Year’s Eve, Babylon Style
Candida Moss
December 31, 2014
The mythic origin of the feast was the creation of the world by the god Marduk.
New Year’s Eve, Babylon Style
Candida Moss
December 31, 2014
Given the somewhat macabre origins of the feast, many of the celebrations were designed to placate the gods.
New Year’s Eve, Babylon Style
Candida Moss
December 31, 2014
Feast your eyes on the ‘top-grain leather,’ ‘original’ design, gilded pages.
Rand Paul’s Many Leather-Bound Books
Olivia Nuzzi
November 27, 2014
Then feast your ears on this 1969 Bill Cosby routine about drugging and seducing women.
The Bill Cosby Controversy Stages of Grief
Amy Zimmerman
November 18, 2014

Historical Examples

All is prepared—the table and the feast— With due appurtenance of clothes and cushions.
Philothea
Lydia Maria Child
But in good time the Lybian pipe warns us that the feast is ready.
Philothea
Lydia Maria Child
He is having a feast of Marennes and he asks me to join him.
Ballads of a Bohemian
Robert W. Service
The rest will to Dax when the prince starts, which will be before the feast of the Epiphany.
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle
If after I am free a friend of mine gave a feast, and did not invite me to it, I should not mind a bit.
De Profundis
Oscar Wilde

British Dictionary definitions for feast

feast

noun

a large and sumptuous meal, usually given as an entertainment for several people
a periodic religious celebration
something extremely pleasing or sumptuousa feast for the eyes
movable feast a festival or other event of variable date

verb

(intr)
1. to eat a feast
2. (usually foll by on)to enjoy the eating (of), as if feastingto feast on cakes
(tr) to give a feast to
(intr foll by on) to take great delight (in)to feast on beautiful paintings
(tr) to regale or delightto feast one's mind or one's eyes

Derived Formsfeaster, noun

Word Origin

C13: from Old French feste, from Latin festa, neuter plural (later assumed to be feminine singular) of festus joyful; related to Latin fānum temple, fēriae festivals

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for feast

n.

c.1200, "religious anniversary characterized by rejoicing" (rather than fasting), from Old French feste (12c., Modern French fête) "religious festival; noise, racket," from Vulgar Latin *festa (fem. singular; also source of Italian festa, Spanish fiesta), from Latin festa "holidays, feasts," noun use of neuter plural of festus "festive, joyful, merry," related to feriae "holiday" and fanum "temple," from PIE *dhes- "root of words in religious concepts" [Watkins]. The spelling -ea- was used in Middle English to represent the sound we mis-call "long e." Meaning "abundant meal" (whether public or private) is from late 14c.

v.

c.1300, "partake of a feast," from Old French fester, from feste (see feast (n.)). Related: Feasted; feasting.

feast

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Synonyms

Examples from the Web for feast

Contemporary Examples

It was known as the feast of Akitu, and it was celebrated in April.

The mythic origin of the feast was the creation of the world by the god Marduk.

Given the somewhat macabre origins of the feast, many of the celebrations were designed to placate the gods.

Feast your eyes on the ‘top-grain leather,’ ‘original’ design, gilded pages.

Then feast your ears on this 1969 Bill Cosby routine about drugging and seducing women.

Historical Examples

All is prepared—the table and the feast— With due appurtenance of clothes and cushions.

But in good time the Lybian pipe warns us that the feast is ready.

He is having a feast of Marennes and he asks me to join him.

The rest will to Dax when the prince starts, which will be before the feast of the Epiphany.

If after I am free a friend of mine gave a feast, and did not invite me to it, I should not mind a bit.

feast

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for feast

n.

v.

Origin of feast