lest

[lest]

conjunction

1. for fear that; so that (one) should not (used negatively to introduce a clause expressive of an action or occurrence requiring caution).

   He kept his notes by his side lest faulty memory lead him astray.

2. that (used after words expressing fear, danger, etc.).

   There was danger lest the plan become known.

lest

/ lɛst /

conjunction

1. so as to prevent any possibility that

   he fled the country lest he be captured and imprisoned

2. (after verbs or phrases expressing fear, worry, anxiety, etc) for fear that; in case

   he was alarmed lest she should find out

Word History and Origins

Origin of lest¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English leste, contraction of the lesse the, thi les the; late Old English the lǣste, earlier thȳ lǣs the, literally, “whereby less that” ( thȳ instrumental case of the demonstrative and relative pronoun, lǣs less, the conjunction)

Word History and Origins

Origin of lest¹

Old English the lǣste, earlier thӯ lǣs the, literally: whereby less that

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. lest we forget. lest we forget.

Example Sentences

Haynesville companies are being more timorous than before because they need to hit their returns on investment, lest they lose hard-won investors.

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Successive Israeli governments rejected Shin Bet recommendations to target Hamas leaders, lest the country be drawn into conflict.

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The fact that some dismiss or ridicule charitable works, as if they were an obsession on the part of a few and not the burning heart of the church’s mission, convinces me of the need to go back and reread the Gospel, lest we risk replacing it with the wisdom of this world.

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Lest we forget our past, America is the great democratic experiment precisely because it’s a land of immigrants.

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Lest you believe it’s about falling in love, she adds later on: “If you think I’m talkin’ ’bout romance / You’re not listening.”

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