feast

American  

[feest] / fist /

noun

• feasts
  plural

1. any rich or abundant meal.

   The steak dinner was a feast.

2. a sumptuous entertainment or meal for many guests.

   a wedding feast.

3. something highly agreeable.

   The Rembrandt exhibition was a feast for the eyes.

4. 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.

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verb (used without object)

• feasts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• feasted,
  past participle,  past
• feasting
  present participle

1. to have or partake of a feast; eat sumptuously.

2. to dwell with gratification or delight, as on a picture or view.

verb (used with object)

• feasts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• feasted,
  past participle,  past
• feasting
  present participle

1. to provide or entertain with a feast.

idioms

1. feast one's eyes, to gaze with great joy, admiration, or relish.

   to feast one's eyes on the Grand Canyon.

feast British  

/ fiːst /

noun

1. a large and sumptuous meal, usually given as an entertainment for several people

2. a periodic religious celebration

3. something extremely pleasing or sumptuous

   a feast for the eyes

4. a festival or other event of variable date

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verb

1. (intr)

   1. to eat a feast

   2. (usually foll by on) to enjoy the eating (of), as if feasting

      to feast on cakes

2. (tr) to give a feast to

3. to take great delight (in)

   to feast on beautiful paintings

4. (tr) to regale or delight

   to feast one's mind or one's eyes

Synonym Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• feaster
  noun
• prefeast
  noun
• overfeast
  verb
• outfeast
  verb (used with object)
• feastless
  adjective
• unfeasted
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• feasts
  plural

Participles

• feasting
  present
• feasted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• feast
  simple
• feasts
  simple
• have feasted
  perfect
• has feasted
  perfect
• am feasting
  progressive
• are feasting
  progressive
• is feasting
  progressive
• have been feasting
  perfect progressive
• has been feasting
  perfect progressive

Past

• feasted
  simple
• had feasted
  perfect
• was feasting
  progressive
• were feasting
  progressive
• had been feasting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will feast
  simple
• will have feasted
  perfect
• will be feasting
  progressive
• will have been feasting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of feast

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English feste, from Old French, from Latin fēsta, neuter plural (reinterpteted as feminine singular noun in Vulgar Latin ) of fēstus “festal, festive,” equivalent to fēs- (akin to fair ² ) + -tus adjective suffix

Explanation

A feast is a huge, delicious meal that's served at a party or celebration. You might have a feast to celebrate the last day of school every year. You can use the word feast in several different ways. It's good for describing the meal you eat at a party, or as a verb meaning "to eat in celebration." You might feast for several days during your family reunion. You can also use feast figuratively to mean a delight, as when you say, "Your garden is a feast for the eyes, Grandma." The Latin root, festa, means "holidays or feasts," from festus, "festive, joyful, or merry."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

feast feasts feasted feasting

You could have customers showing up ordering a feast of fillet steaks because they got an inside tip on your generosity.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026

The 36-year-old software engineer won’t be traveling far or preparing a feast.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

I head for another feast, another set of fires.

From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026

It was a feast day and everyone was celebrating, but M's daughter stayed in her room crying.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

Then I enjoy the feast, which is fit for the Queen...of the Neighborhood.

From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan

But the greatest concentration of farms is along the 19-mile tidal Damariscotta, the site of oyster feasts for thousands of years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, families traditionally gather over joyous feasts to break the daytime fast.

From Barron's ● Feb. 22, 2026

"But the key is moderation and clinical supervision - this is not a licence for unlimited mango feasts."

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2025

The Thanksgiving episodes are shocking and absurd, packed with scathing one-liner digs and soapy melodrama; feasts so good that you can’t help but come back for more.

From Salon ● May 17, 2025

Cora shooed off those children trampling her sprouts and yelled at them for digging up her yam slips, using the same tone she used at Jockey’s feasts to corral them into foot races and games.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

With the always-excellent Paudie Clifford influential early on, Kerry feasted on Mayo nerves to register the game's three opening scores, with David Clifford striking twice after Dylan Casey fisted over the bar.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

The press feasted on Duesberg’s self-portrayal as the victim of ostracism arising from professional jealousies — a target of cancel culture before that was a thing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 29, 2026

More than 90 people have been charged with setting up sham businesses and nonprofits in Minnesota that feasted on Medicaid, food, housing and other welfare programs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 4, 2026

Australia resumed at 271-4 with Head on 142 and Carey not out 52 and they again feasted early on some mediocre bowling.

From Barron's ● Dec. 20, 2025

We feasted, we laughed, we played games, lost and won, we told the best stories.

From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan

They remain for a year, feasting and recovering, before Circe helps them prepare for the journey ahead.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

This was an expanded World Cup with a thinner field and maybe the U.S. was a medium-size fish feasting on minnows.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

No, it is not the police dogs' annual convention, but the latest iteration of a feasting phenomenon that is sweeping provincial France.

From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026

Now the cubs are feasting on solid foods and love fruits and leaves from native plants, and they’ll continue exploring the larger outdoor area as they grow more confident.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026

Less than a month ago, Valerian was bragging about campers he and his friends had tricked into feasting with them, gorging on rotten leaves enchanted to look like delicacies.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

Related Words

• barbecue
• dinner
• festival
• festivity
• fiesta
• gala
• picnic
• repast