Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense feasts, present participle feasting, past tense, past participle feasted
1. countable noun
A feast is a large and special meal.
Lunch was a feast of meat and vegetables, cheese, yoghurt and fruit, with unlimitedwine. [+ of]
The fruit was often served at wedding feasts.
On the following day a feast was given in King John's honour.
Synonyms: banquet, repast, spread [informal], dinner More Synonyms of feast
2. verb
If you feaston a particular food, you eat a large amount of it with great enjoyment.
They feasted well into the afternoon on mutton and corn stew. [VERB + on]
3. verb
If you feast, you take part in a feast.
Only a few feet away, their captors feasted in the castle's banqueting hall. [VERB]
feastinguncountable noun
The feasting, drinking, dancing and revelry continued for several days.
4. singular noun [with supplement, usually NOUNof noun]
You can refer to a large number of good, interesting, or enjoyable things as afeastof things.
This new series promises a feast of special effects and set designs.
Chicago provides a feast for the ears of any music lover.
Synonyms: treat, delight, pleasure, enjoyment More Synonyms of feast
5. countable noun
A feast is a day or time of the year when a special religious celebration takes place.
The Jewish feast of Passover began last night. [+ of]
It was Candlemas, a Catholic feast day celebrating the purification of the VirginMary.
Synonyms: festival, holiday, fête, celebration More Synonyms of feast
6.
See to feast your eyes
More Synonyms of feast
feast in British English
(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. movable feast
verb
5. (intransitive)
a.
to eat a feast
b. (usually foll by on)
to enjoy the eating (of), as if feasting
to feast on cakes
6. (transitive)
to give a feast to
7. (intransitive; foll byon)
to take great delight (in)
to feast on beautiful paintings
8. (transitive)
to regale or delight
to feast one's mind or one's eyes
Derived forms
feaster (ˈfeaster)
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
feast in American English
(fist)
noun
1.
a celebration or festival; esp., a periodic religious celebration, as in honor of God or a saint
2.
a rich and elaborate meal; banquet
3.
anything that gives pleasure because of its abundance or richness; special treat
verb intransitive
4.
to eat a rich, elaborate meal
5.
to have a special treat
verb transitive
6.
to entertain at a feast or banquet
7.
to gratify or delight as with a feast
feast your eyes on this!
Derived forms
feaster (ˈfeaster)
noun
Word origin
ME feste < OFr < VL festa < pl. of L festum, festival < festus, festal, joyful, orig., of days for religious observance: see fair2
More idioms containing
feast
it's feast or famine
enough is as good as a feast
feast your eyes on something
the spectre at the feast
Examples of 'feast' in a sentence
feast
Keep e ply l expensive fresh herbs from the festive feast.
The Sun (2016)
Once there, you can enjoy an Arabic feast and entertainment.
The Sun (2016)
Thirty guests then bought tickets to enjoy the feast.
Christianity Today (2000)
The first world war put paid to the great house feasts because the servants disappeared.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Men who give frequent feasts that are well attended generally gain renown for themselves.
Sanderson, Stephen K. Macrosociology: An Introduction to Human Societies (1995)
Top chefs show how to cook a festive feast.
The Sun (2010)
So how did it emerge as such a sumptuous musical feast?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Should elected socialist politicians wear dinner jackets and attend feasts with grand people?
Redwood, John The Global Marketplace (1993)
Their food and their feasts of remembrance were what preserved them as a nation in storage.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Expect wonderful dancing and a visual feast.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The toughest thing has been distinguishing from such a feast of music.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The strawberry ice cream intended for the wedding feast melted.
Eddison, Sydney A Patchwork Garden: Unexpected Pleasures from a Country Garden (1990)
Beside her the great fire crackles under the wooden eaves of the feasting hall.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
That meant two whole days of feasting and celebrations.
The Sun (2012)
Just sit back and enjoy a feast of phenomenal wildlife footage before progress destroys it all.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
It will be a great feast for all who come.
The Sun (2012)
This wonderful new series provides a feast for the ears as it explores the importance of film soundtracks.
The Sun (2013)
More microwave meal than gourmet feast.
The Sun (2007)
Research for that Gothic feast had me eating fried leeches.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
That night, we feast on beef stew beneath two oil lamps.
The Sun (2014)
Last night I had my cheese feast.
The Sun (2015)
Dinner is another feast including grilled cheese sandwiches, deep-fried meat and burger and chips.
The Sun (2010)
The result is we gorge on special diets, feast on miracle fitness plans and devour self-help books.
The Sun (2008)
IT WAS a feast to set before a king.
The Sun (2011)
Word lists with
feast
Types of entertainment, meal
In other languages
feast
British English: feast NOUN
A feast is a large and special meal.
Lunch was a feast of meat and vegetables, cheese, yoghurt and fruit.
American English: feast
Brazilian Portuguese: banquete
Chinese: 盛宴
European Spanish: banquete
French: festin
German: Festmahl
Italian: banchetto
Japanese: ごちそう
Korean: 잔치
European Portuguese: banquete
Latin American Spanish: banquete
British English: feast VERB
If you feast on a particular food, you eat a large amount of it with great enjoyment.
They feasted well into the afternoon on mutton and corn stew.
American English: feast
Brazilian Portuguese: banquetear-se
Chinese: 大啖
European Spanish: festejar
French: se régaler
German: schlemmen
Italian: banchettare
Japanese: 満喫する
Korean: 즐겁게 마음껏 먹다
European Portuguese: banquetear-se
Latin American Spanish: festejar
All related terms of 'feast'
feast day
→ feast (sense 1 )
love feast
(among the early Christians ) a religious meal eaten with others as a sign of mutual love and fellowship
movable feast
a festival or other event of variable date
wedding feast
a meal served to celebrate a wedding
midnight feast
a snack or many snacks eaten around midnight
moveable feast
a religious festival that occurs on a different date each year
Barmecide (feast)
a pretended feast with no food
Feast of Lots
→ Purim
Feast of Weeks
Judaism → a literal translation of Shavuot
Feast of Lanterns
Hinduism → another name for Diwali
Feast of Lights
the eight-day Jewish festival of lights beginning on the 25th of Kislev and commemorating the rededication of the temple by Judas Maccabaeus in 165 bc
Feast of Dedication
Judaism → a literal translation of Chanukah
Feast of Tabernacles
→ Sukkot
to feast your eyes
If you feast your eyes on something, you look at it for a long time with great attention because you find it very attractive .
feast one's eyes on
to look at with pleasure or admiration
it's feast or famine
said to mean that sometimes you have too much of something such as money, while at other times you do not have enough
skeleton at the feast
a person or event that brings gloom or sadness to an occasion of joy or celebration
Thyestean banquet
a banquet at which human flesh is served
Feast of the Unleavened Bread
→ the Feast of the Unleavened Bread
feast your eyes on something
to look at something with a great deal of enjoyment
the spectre at the feast
someone who spoils other people's enjoyment , for example because they remind them of an unhappy event or situation
enough is as good as a feast
said to mean that there is no point in having more of something than you need or want
the Feast of the Unleavened Bread
an eight-day Jewish festival beginning on Nisan 15 and celebrated in commemoration of the passing over or sparing of the Israelites in Egypt, when God smote the firstborn of the Egyptians ( Exodus 12)
Chinese translation of 'feast'
feast
(fiːst)
n(c)
(= banquet) 宴会(會) (yànhuì) (次, cì)
(Rel, = festival) 节(節)日 (jiérì)
vi
(liter) 宴饮(飲) (yànyǐn)
a feast of (fig) 许(許)许(許)多多的 (xǔxǔ-duōduō de)
to feast on sth尽(盡)情地享用某物 (jìnqíng de xiǎngyòng mǒuwù)
to feast one's eyes (up)on sb/sth尽(盡)情观(觀)赏(賞)某人/某物 (jìnqíng guānshǎng mǒurén/mǒuwù)
1 (noun)
Definition
a large and special meal for many people
Lunch was a feast of meat, vegetables, cheese, and wine.
Synonyms
banquet
Last night he attended a state banquet.
repast
spread (informal)
They put on a spread of sandwiches for us.
dinner
The annual dinner was held in the spring.
entertainment
barbecue
revel
The revels often last until dawn.
junket
beano (British, slang)
blowout (slang)
Once in a while we had a major blow-out.
carouse
slap-up meal (British, informal)
beanfeast (British, informal)
jollification
carousal
festive board
treat
hakari (New Zealand)
2 (noun)
Definition
an annual religious celebration
The feast of Passover began last night.
Synonyms
festival
the Jewish festival of the Passover
holiday
New Year's Day is a public holiday throughout Britain.
fête
The Vicar is organizing a church fete.
celebration
There was a celebration in our house that night.
holy day
red-letter day
religious festival
saint's day
-fest
gala day
3 (noun)
Definition
something extremely pleasing
Chicago provides a feast for the ears of any music lover.
Synonyms
treat
It's a real treat to see someone doing justice to the film.
delight
To my delight, the plan worked perfectly.
pleasure
We exclaimed with pleasure when we saw them.
enjoyment
She ate with great enjoyment.
gratification
Eventually they recognized him, much to his gratification.
cornucopia
1 (verb)
Definition
to take part in a feast
We feasted on cakes and ice cream.
Synonyms
eat your fill
wine and dine
overindulge
eat to your heart's content
stuff yourself
I could stuff myself with ten chocolate bars and still feel hungry.
consume
Andrew would consume nearly two pounds of cheese per day.
indulge
hoover (informal)
gorge
I could spend all day gorging on chocolate.
devour
She devoured half an apple pie.
pig out (slang)
stuff your face (slang)
fare sumptuously
gormandize
2 (verb)
Definition
to give a feast to
Synonyms
treat
She was always treating him to ice cream.
entertain
I don't really like to entertain guests any more.
regale
On Sunday evenings we were usually regaled with a roast dinner.
wine and dine
hold a reception for
kill the fatted calf for
idiom
See feast your eyes on something
Additional synonyms
in the sense of blowout
Definition
a large filling meal
Once in a while we had a major blow-out.
Synonyms
binge (informal),
party,
feast,
rave (British, slang),
spree,
beano (British, slang),
rave-up (British, slang),
carousal,
carouse,
hooley or hoolie (Irish, New Zealand)
in the sense of celebration
There was a celebration in our house that night.
Synonyms
party,
festival,
gala,
jubilee,
festivity,
rave (British, slang),
junketing,
beano (British, slang),
revelry,
red-letter day,
rave-up (British, slang),
merrymaking,
jollification,
carousal,
-fest,
hooley or hoolie (Irish, New Zealand)
in the sense of consume
Definition
to eat or drink
Andrew would consume nearly two pounds of cheese per day.