Standard Lemma guide

fest

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK, US: /fɛst/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛst
  • homophone: fessed
  • homophone: -fest
  • CMU ARPABET: F EH1 S T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A gathering for a specified reason or occasion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: in-compounds

Examples

  • a Renaissance fest

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: festival

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An event in which the act denoted by the previous noun occurs.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: in-compounds

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dheh1- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *dhéh1s Proto-Indo-European *dheh1stosder. Proto-Italic *θēstos Proto-Italic *fēstosder. Latin fēstus Latin festumder. Middle High German fëst German Festbor. English fest Borrowed from German Fest (“feast, festival, party”), from Middle High German fëst, from Latin festum, from which last are also English feast, festival, festivity, fete, fiesta (see these).

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Danish: fest — A gathering for a specified reason or occasion
  • Finnish: juhla — A gathering for a specified reason or occasion
  • Italian: fiera — A gathering for a specified reason or occasion
  • Italian: sagra — A gathering for a specified reason or occasion
  • Russian: собра́ние (sobránije) — A gathering for a specified reason or occasion
  • Swedish: fest — A gathering for a specified reason or occasion
  • Swedish: bjudning — A gathering for a specified reason or occasion