fest
6 synonyms for fest, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A gathering or event celebrating a particular theme or activity, often used informally as a suffix (e.g. "chili-fest").
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use fest
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
beer fest
gossip-fest
love-fest
Etymology
Borrowed from German Fest, "feast, festival," ultimately from Latin festum — the same root as "feast" and "festival."
Full origin of fest →Frequently asked questions
What does “fest” mean?
The word “fest” means a gathering or event celebrating a particular theme or activity, often used informally as a suffix (e.g. "chili-fest"). In plain terms, a festival or themed gathering, often used casually as a suffix to describe any event centred on one activity.
How do you pronounce “fest”?
“Fest” is pronounced fehst (/fɛst/ in IPA).
How do you use “fest” in a sentence?
Here is “fest” used in a sentence: “The town holds a beer fest every October.”
What part of speech is “fest”?
“Fest” is a noun.
Where does the word “fest” come from?
The word “fest” comes from Latin. Borrowed from German Fest, "feast, festival," ultimately from Latin festum — the same root as "feast" and "festival.".
Is “fest” a common word?
“Fest” is an uncommon word in modern English.
What is the difference between "fest" and "festival"?
"Fest" is an informal, often shortened term for a themed gathering, frequently attached as a suffix to another word such as "chili-fest," while "festival" is the fuller, more formal word for an organized celebratory event.
Is "fest" typically used alone or as a suffix?
"Fest" can stand alone informally to mean a themed gathering, but it is more commonly attached to another noun as a suffix, such as "beer-fest" or "film-fest," to name a specific type of event.
Is "fest" formal or informal?
"Fest" is informal, used mainly in casual speech, marketing, and event names rather than in formal writing.
