What does feasted mean?
"Feasted" is the past tense of the verb "to feast," meaning to eat and drink lavishly, typically as part of a celebration, festival, or grand occasion. In its literal sense it evokes abundance and ceremony: medieval courts feasted after victories, and families still feast on holidays. The word also carries a well-established figurative sense — one may feast one's eyes on a beautiful view, or feast on news, gossip, or drama — implying keen enjoyment of something plentiful. Its connotations are overwhelmingly positive and indulgent, suggesting plenty rather than mere sustenance. Derived ultimately from Latin "festum" through Old French "feste," it shares its ancestry with words like "festival" and "festive," tying everyday overindulgence to humanity's oldest impulse: marking joyous occasions with abundant food.
verbPast tense and past participle of "feast": ate and drank sumptuously, especially as part of a large celebration or ceremonial meal; more broadly, delighted oneself with an abundance of something.
- Ate and drank lavishly, especially at a celebratory or ceremonial meal.
- Figuratively, took great delight in an abundance of something (e.g. 'feasted their eyes on the view').
"The wedding party feasted late into the night."
"The victors feasted for three days in the great hall."
"She feasted her eyes on the alpine scenery at every turn."
One letter separates a banquet from a hunger strike: those who feasted did anything but fasted.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of feasted
"Feasted" derives from the verb "feast," which entered Middle English from Old French "feste" (modern French "fête"), itself borrowed from Latin "festum," meaning a festival or holiday, from "festus" ('joyous, festive'). English speakers have used the verb since the medieval period, when communal banquets were central to social and religious life. Cognates include Spanish "fiesta" and Italian "festa," all tracing back to the same Latin root that also gives us "festival," "festive," and "festivity."
Related word forms
How feasted is actually used
Slightly elevated or literary in tone compared with plain alternatives like "ate a lot." The figurative sense is almost always paired with "on" or with "eyes" — "feasted one's eyes on."
Easily confused with feasted
"Fasted" means abstained from food, the near-opposite of "feasted," and differs by only one letter.