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feast

1 of 2

noun

Synonyms of feastnext
1
a
: an elaborate and usually abundant meal often accompanied by a ceremony or entertainment : banquet
b(1)
: something that gives unusual or abundant enjoyment
a visual feast
(2)
: abundance, profusion
… an unprecedented feast of corruption, gargantuan in scale.Neil Sheehan
2
: a periodic religious observance commemorating an event or honoring a deity, person, or thing

feast

2 of 2

verb

feasted; feasting; feasts

intransitive verb

1
: to take part in a feast
2
: to enjoy some unusual pleasure or delight

transitive verb

1
: to give a feast for
2
: delight, gratify
feasting our eyes on the scenery
feaster noun

Examples of feast in a Sentence

Noun give the annual Thanksgiving feast Every guest brought a different dish to the party, and we had quite a feast. There were hundreds of guests at the royal wedding feast. the feast of the Nativity Verb the returning war heroes were feasted all over the country feast your eyes on all the fresh flowers at the farmers' market
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Get as many things as your wallet can buy, and feast. Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Dec. 2025 Especially when First Watch is less about defibrillator-worthy feasts than 21st century dining? Michael Deeds december 5, Idaho Statesman, 5 Dec. 2025
Verb
While most Americans were watching football and feasting on turkey, Netflix executives and advisers hunkered down to finalize a binding offer and a $59 billion bridge loan from banks, one of the biggest of its kind. Michelle F. Davis, Fortune, 6 Dec. 2025 Netflix’s true crime popularity is so great that the streamer consistently creates new headlines, effectively warming up even the coldest cases for audiences to feast on for weeks at a time. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for feast

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English feste, from Anglo-French, from Latin festa, plural of festum festival, from neuter of festus solemn, festal; akin to Latin feriae holidays, fanum temple

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of feast was in the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Feast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feast. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

feast

1 of 2 noun
1
: a meal with plenty of food and drink : banquet
2
: a religious festival or observance

feast

2 of 2 verb
1
: to eat plentifully : take part in a feast
2
: to entertain with a feast
3
: delight entry 2 sense 2
feast your eyes on the view
feaster noun
Etymology

Noun

Middle English feste "feast, festival," from early French feste (same meaning), from Latin festa, plural of festum "festival, feast" — related to festival, fiesta

More from Merriam-Webster on feast

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