feast

F0060900 (fēst)n.1. a. A large, elaborately prepared meal, usually for many persons and often accompanied by entertainment; a banquet.b. A meal that is well prepared and abundantly enjoyed.2. A periodic religious festival commemorating an event or honoring a god or saint.3. Something giving great pleasure or satisfaction: a book that is a veritable feast for the mind.v. feast·ed, feast·ing, feasts v.tr. To give a feast for; entertain or feed sumptuously: feasted the guests on venison.v.intr.1. To partake of a feast; eat heartily.2. To experience something with gratification or delight: feasted on the view.Idiom: feast (one's) eyes on To be delighted or gratified by the sight of: We feasted our eyes on the paintings.

[Middle English feste, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *fēsta, from Latin, pl. of fēstum, from fēstus, festive; see dhēs- in Indo-European roots.]

feast′er n.

feast

(fiːst) n1. a large and sumptuous meal, usually given as an entertainment for several people2. a periodic religious celebration3. something extremely pleasing or sumptuous: a feast for the eyes. 4. movable feast a festival or other event of variable datevb5. (intr) a. to eat a feastb. (usually foll by on) to enjoy the eating (of), as if feasting: to feast on cakes. 6. (tr) to give a feast to7. (foll by: on) to take great delight (in): to feast on beautiful paintings. 8. (tr) to regale or delight: to feast one's mind or one's eyes. [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] ˈfeaster n

feast

(fist)

n. 1. any rich or abundant meal. 2. a sumptuous entertainment or meal for many guests: a wedding feast. 3. something highly agreeable or satisfying. 4. a periodical celebration or time of celebration, usu. of a religious nature, commemorating an event, person, etc. v.i. 5. to partake of a feast; eat sumptuously. 6. to dwell with gratification or delight, as on a picture or view. v.t. 7. to provide or entertain with a feast. Idioms: feast one's eyes, to gaze with great joy, admiration, or relish. [1150–1200; Middle English feste < Old French < Latin fēsta] feast′er, n. feast′less, adj.

Feast

the company at a feast, collectively.Examples: feast of brewers; of quests, 1400.

feast

Past participle: feasted
Gerund: feasting

Imperative
feast
feast

Present
I feast
you feast
he/she/it feasts
we feast
you feast
they feast

Preterite
I feasted
you feasted
he/she/it feasted
we feasted
you feasted
they feasted

Present Continuous
I am feasting
you are feasting
he/she/it is feasting
we are feasting
you are feasting
they are feasting

Present Perfect
I have feasted
you have feasted
he/she/it has feasted
we have feasted
you have feasted
they have feasted

Past Continuous
I was feasting
you were feasting
he/she/it was feasting
we were feasting
you were feasting
they were feasting

Past Perfect
I had feasted
you had feasted
he/she/it had feasted
we had feasted
you had feasted
they had feasted

Future
I will feast
you will feast
he/she/it will feast
we will feast
you will feast
they will feast

Future Perfect
I will have feasted
you will have feasted
he/she/it will have feasted
we will have feasted
you will have feasted
they will have feasted

Future Continuous
I will be feasting
you will be feasting
he/she/it will be feasting
we will be feasting
you will be feasting
they will be feasting

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been feasting
you have been feasting
he/she/it has been feasting
we have been feasting
you have been feasting
they have been feasting

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been feasting
you will have been feasting
he/she/it will have been feasting
we will have been feasting
you will have been feasting
they will have been feasting

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been feasting
you had been feasting
he/she/it had been feasting
we had been feasting
you had been feasting
they had been feasting

Conditional
I would feast
you would feast
he/she/it would feast
we would feast
you would feast
they would feast

Past Conditional
I would have feasted
you would have feasted
he/she/it would have feasted
we would have feasted
you would have feasted
they would have feasted

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	feast - a ceremonial dinner party for many peoplebanquetdinner party, dinner - a party of people assembled to have dinner together; "guests should never be late to a dinner party"gaudy - (Britain) a celebratory reunion feast or entertainment held a college
	2.	feast - something experienced with great delight; "a feast for the eyes"thing - an event; "a funny thing happened on the way to the..."
	3.	feast - a meal that is well prepared and greatly enjoyed; "a banquet for the graduating seniors"; "the Thanksgiving feast"; "they put out quite a spread"banquet, spreadmeal, repast - the food served and eaten at one time
	4.	feast - an elaborate party (often outdoors)fete, fiestaparty - an occasion on which people can assemble for social interaction and entertainment; "he planned a party to celebrate Bastille Day"luau - an elaborate Hawaiian feast or party (especially one accompanied by traditional foods and entertainment)potlatch - a ceremonial feast held by some Indians of the northwestern coast of North America (as in celebrating a marriage or a new accession) in which the host gives gifts to tribesmen and others to display his superior wealth (sometimes, formerly, to his own impoverishment)
Verb	1.	feast - partake in a feast or banquet banquet, junketeat - eat a meal; take a meal; "We did not eat until 10 P.M. because there were so many phone calls"; "I didn't eat yet, so I gladly accept your invitation"banquet, feast, junket - provide a feast or banquet forwine and dine - eat sumptuously; "we wined and dined in Paris"
	2.	feast - provide a feast or banquet for banquet, junketfeast, banquet, junket - partake in a feast or banquethost - be the host of or for; "We hosted 4 couples last night"
	3.	feast - gratify; "feed one's eyes on a gorgeous view"feedregale, treat - provide with choice or abundant food or drink; "Don't worry about the expensive wine--I'm treating"; "She treated her houseguests with good food every night"

feast

noun1. banquet, repast, spread (informal), dinner, entertainment, barbecue, revel, junket, beano (Brit. slang), blowout (slang), carouse, slap-up meal (Brit. informal), beanfeast (Brit. informal), jollification, carousal, festive board, treat Lunch was a feast of meat, vegetables, cheese, and wine.2. festival, holiday, fête, celebration, holy day, red-letter day, religious festival, saint's day, -fest, gala day The feast of passover began last night.3. treat, delight, pleasure, enjoyment, gratification, cornucopia Chicago provides a feast for the ears of any music lover.verb1. eat your fill, wine and dine, overindulge, eat to your heart's content, stuff yourself, consume, indulge, hoover (informal), gorge, devour, pig out (slang), stuff your face (slang), fare sumptuously, gormandize We feasted on cakes and ice cream.feast your eyes on something or someone look at with delight, gaze at, devour with your eyes She stood feasting her eyes on the view.

feast

nounA large meal elaborately prepared or served:banquet, junket.Informal: feed, spread.phrasal verb
feast onTo be avidly interested in:devour, eat up, relish.

Translations

参加宴会盛宴节日

feast

(fiːst) noun1. a large and rich meal, usually eaten to celebrate some occasion. The king invited them to a feast in the palace.盛宴2. (sometimes with capital) a particular day on which some (especially religious) person or event is remembered and celebrated. Today is the feast of St Stephen. （宗教上的）节日 verb to eat (as if) at a feast. We feasted all day.参加宴会

feast

Barmecide feast

That which pretends or is imagined to be extravagant, plentiful, or opulent, but which in reality is comprised of little or nothing; that which proves to be illusory or unreal. Taken from the name of a prince in Arabian Nights who offers a feast to a beggar but gives him only empty plates. The money you make on the stock market can end up as a Barmecide feast: you think you're making millions of dollars, and then in the blink of an eye it is all gone.See also: feast

a feast for the eyes

An especially attractive, pleasing, and/or remarkable sight or visual experience. His newest film has such lush cinematography that it is truly a feast for the eyes. He emerged from the tailor in a brand new designer suit, and I thought he was a feast for the eyes.See also: eye, feast

feast (one's) eyes

To gaze upon something with joy or pleasure. Feast your eyes! Dinner has been served! I got my report card today—feast your eyes on all those A's!See also: eye, feast

movable feast

An event or occurrence that does not happen on a predictable schedule. Since Easter does not fall on the same calendar date each year, it's often called a movable feast.See also: feast, movable

skeleton at the feast

One whose pessimistic outlook or behavior dampens the mood at a happy event. Don't invite Chris to your engagement party—he's always so gloomy and will just be a skeleton at the feast.See also: feast, skeleton

a contented mind is a perpetual feast

If happy and satisfied, one will not strive to acquire more. Once I reframed my priorities, I realized that I had everything I could ever want. I guess it's true that a contented mind is a perpetual feast.See also: contented, feast, mind, perpetual

enough is as good as a feast

Just having enough of something is plenty. Primarily heard in UK. A: "Would you like more?" B: "Oh, no thank you. Enough is as good as a feast."See also: enough, feast, good

the ghost at the feast

Someone or something that acts as a reminder of something negative and thus ruins the enjoyment of something. Primarily heard in UK. I think I'll stay home. I'm afraid that since everyone knows about my recent diagnosis, I will be the ghost at the feast.See also: feast, ghost

feast (one's) eyes on (something)

To gaze upon something with joy, pleasure, or admiration. Often used as an imperative. Ladies and gentlemen, feast your eyes on these exquisite works of art. I got my report card today—feast your eyes on all those A's! You were too busy feasting your eyes on the neighbor's car to realize you were watering the driveway.See also: eye, feast, on

feast or famine

Describing a situation in which there is either an excess or a lack of quantity. Freelance projects always seem to be feast or famine, unfortunately—this line of work is very unpredictable.See also: feast

feast of reason

An intellectual or scholarly discussion. The phrase comes from 18th-century poet Alexander Pope. I left because the feast of reason that's going on in there started to bore me.See also: feast, of, reason

feast (one's) eyes on (someone or something)

To gaze upon something with joy or pleasure. Feast your eyes on this spread! Let's dig in! I got my report card today—feast your eyes on all those A's!See also: eye, feast, on

the spectre at the feast

feast (up)on (something)

To eat large quantities of something, usually with pleasure. The kids feasted on birthday cake and returned to us with frosting-stained faces.See also: feast

contented mind is a perpetual feast

Prov. If you are mentally at peace, you will always feel that you have enough of everything, and will not have to strive to get more. Jill: Lillian doesn't make very much money, but she seems to be happy all the time. I wonder how she manages that? Jane: A contented mind is a perpetual feast.See also: contented, feast, mind, perpetual

*(either) feast or famine

Fig. either too much (of something) or not enough (of something). (*Typically: be ~; have ~.) This month is very dry, and last month it rained almost every day. Our weather is either feast or famine. Sometimes we are busy, and sometimes we have nothing to do. It's feast or famine.See also: feast

Enough is as good as a feast.

Prov. You do not need more than enough of anything. We don't have much of a surplus of food for dinner tonight, but enough is as good as a feast. Jane: I wish I could offer you more lavish hospitality. Jane: Don't be silly. Enough is as good as a feast.See also: enough, feast, good

feast one's eyes (on or upon someone or something)

Fig. to enjoy the sight of someone or something. (Upon is formal and less commonly used than on.) Just feast your eyes on that beautiful beach. Jane feasted her eyes on Roger for a while and then went on with her studying.See also: eye, feast

feast (up)on something

to eat a great deal of something; to eat a feast built around something in particular. We will feast upon turkey for weeks. We feasted on the fish Harry had caught.See also: feast, on

movable feast

1. Lit. a religious holiday that is on a different date from year to year. Easter is the best known movable feast. 2. Fig. a meal that is served in motion or with different portions of the meal served at different locations. (Jocular or a complete misunderstanding of {1} but in wide use.) We enjoyed a real movable feast on the train from Washington to Maimi.See also: feast, movable

feast one's eyes on

Be delighted or gratified by the sight of, as in I'm feasting my eyes on this new sculpture-it's wonderful. This metaphoric expression may have been originated by Shakespeare, who used it in Sonnet 47: "With my love's picture then my eye doth feast." See also: eye, feast, on

feast or famine

Also, either feast or famine. Either too much or too little, too many or too few. For example, Free-lancers generally find it's feast or famine-too many assignments or too few, or Yesterday two hundred showed up at the fair, today two dozen-it's either feast or famine . This expression, which transfers an overabundance or shortage of food to numerous other undertakings, was first recorded in 1732 as feast or fast, the noun famine being substituted in the early 1900s. See also: feast

feast your eyes on something/someone

If you feast your eyes on something or someone, you look at them with a great deal of pleasure. While you enjoy the music, you can feast your eyes on the superb architecture and paintings in one of Rome's finest churches. Park for free, get your chairs and picnic out of the boot and feast your eyes on one of the best views in the South of England. Note: You can also say that something or someone is a feast for the eyes a feast for the eyes. In France almost every shop is a feast for the eyes and tastebuds. Note: The idea is of allowing your eyes to appreciate something visually in the same way that your mouth allows you to enjoy the quantity and quality of food at a feast or large meal. See also: eye, feast, on, someone, something

enough is as good as a feast

BRITISH, OLD-FASHIONEDIf you say enough is as good as a feast, you mean that there is no point in having more of something than you need or want. I'm afraid it's only soup and bread for lunch but enough is as good as a feast, as my great aunt Daisy would say. Nobody loves a tune better than I do. But I always say enough is as good as a feast; do you not agree? Note: This was first used by the Greek writer Euripides in the 5th century BC to explain that it is wrong to be greedy. See also: enough, feast, good

feast or famine

If someone describes a situation as feast or famine, they mean that there is always either too much or too little of something. Money is a problem. `It's feast or famine with me,' she says. Note: People often vary this expression. This new series is a feast in what is otherwise a famine of intelligent television. After a long famine, a mini-feast: investors are once again providing banks with the capital they need.See also: feast

a movable feast

If an event is a movable feast, it can happen at different times or in different places. Held about 29 May, the festival was a movable feast. Working parents wish to spend time with their children after they get home, so bedtime has become a movable feast. Note: This expression originally referred to religious holidays that are always celebrated at about the same time of year, but not always on exactly the same day. See also: feast, movable

the spectre at the feast

the ghost at the feast

BRITISHIf someone or something is the spectre at the feast or the ghost at the feast, they make people feel uncomfortable because they remind them of an unhappy event or situation. At the funeral, Lindsay had stood apart, the ultimate spectre at the feast. That question was the ghost at the feast and cast a shadow over the celebrations. Note: According to the Greek writer Plutarch, the Ancient Egyptians used to place a skeleton at the table during a feast, to remind them that they would die one day. See also: feast, spectre

enough is as good as a feast

moderation is more satisfying than excess. proverbSee also: enough, feast, good

feast your eyes on

gaze at with pleasure.See also: eye, feast, on

feast of reason

intellectual talk. This expression comes from the poet Alexander Pope's description of congenial conversation in Imitations of Horace: ‘The feast of reason and the flow of soul’.See also: feast, of, reason

feast or famine

either too much of something or too little.See also: feast

a ghost (or spectre) at the feast

someone or something that brings gloom or sadness to an otherwise pleasant or celebratory occasion. The ghost or spectre of Banquo at the feast in Shakespeare's Macbeth is the most famous literary instance of this. There are other versions of the expression. A skeleton at the feast dates from the mid 19th century and probably refers to the ancient Egyptian practice of having the coffin of a dead person, adorned with a painted portrait of the deceased, present at a funeral banquet. A death's head at the feast alludes to the use of a death's head or skull as a memento mori (an object which serves as a reminder of death).See also: feast, ghost

a movable feast

an event which takes place at no regular time. In a religious context a movable feast is a feast day (especially Easter Day and the other Christian holy days whose dates are related to it) which does not occur on the same calendar date each year.See also: feast, movable

feast your ˈeyes (on somebody/something)

look at somebody/something and get great pleasure: Wow! Come and feast your eyes on this birthday cake!See also: eye, feast

feast (one's) eyes on

To be delighted or gratified by the sight of: We feasted our eyes on the paintings.See also: eye, feast, on

feast one's eyes on, to

To enjoy the sight of something or someone. Shakespeare’s Sonnet 47, “With my love’s picture then my eye doth feast,” is one of the early sources of this metaphor. It may have been a cliché by the time George Meredith used it in The Adventures of Harry Richmond (1871): “The princess . . . let her eyes feast incessantly on a laughing sea.”See also: eye, feast

feast or famine

Either an overabundance or a shortage. This expression originated as either feast or fast, which is how it appeared in Thomas Fuller’s Gnomologia (1732) and still survived in 1912 (“Dock labour has been graphically described as ‘either a feast or a fast,’” London Daily Telegraph). In America, famine was substituted sometime during the twentieth century. The term is still frequently applied to alternating overabundance and shortages of work, as is often the case for freelancers, seasonal laborers, and the like.See also: feast

feast

feast

feast

feast

Feast

feast

feast

feast

feast

feast

Barmecide feast

a feast for the eyes

feast (one's) eyes

movable feast

skeleton at the feast

a contented mind is a perpetual feast

enough is as good as a feast

the ghost at the feast

feast (one's) eyes on (something)

feast or famine

feast of reason

feast (one's) eyes on (someone or something)

the spectre at the feast

feast (up)on (something)

contented mind is a perpetual feast

*(either) feast or famine

Enough is as good as a feast.

feast one's eyes (on or upon someone or something)

feast (up)on something

movable feast

feast one's eyes on

feast or famine

feast your eyes on something/someone

enough is as good as a feast

feast or famine

a movable feast

the spectre at the feast

the ghost at the feast

enough is as good as a feast

feast your eyes on

feast of reason

feast or famine

a ghost (or spectre) at the feast

a movable feast

feast your ˈeyes (on somebody/something)

feast (one's) eyes on

feast one's eyes on, to

feast or famine

feast

feast,

Maidyarem (Maidhyairya; Mid-Year or Winter Feast)

Feast

FEAST

feast

Synonyms for feast

noun banquet

Synonyms

noun festival

Synonyms

noun treat

Synonyms

verb eat your fill

Synonyms

phrase feast your eyes on something or someone

Synonyms

Synonyms for feast

noun a large meal elaborately prepared or served

Synonyms

phrase feast on: to be avidly interested in

Synonyms

Synonyms for feast

noun a ceremonial dinner party for many people

Synonyms

Related Words

noun something experienced with great delight

Related Words

noun a meal that is well prepared and greatly enjoyed

Synonyms

Related Words

noun an elaborate party (often outdoors)