east

The word “east” means the direction toward which the Earth rotates, where the sun rises. In plain terms, the compass direction where the sun rises, or a region lying in that direction.

“East” is pronounced ihyst (/iːst/ in IPA).

Here is “east” used in a sentence: “The hikers headed east toward the rising sun.”

Words with a similar meaning to “east” include of and pertaining to the east.

The opposite of “east” — its antonyms — are westward, westerly, antonym(s) of “of, pertaining to the east” and westwards.

Depending on how it is used, “east” can be a noun, an adjective, an adverb and a name.

The word “east” comes from Old English. From Old English ēast, an ancient word shared across the Germanic languages, ultimately going back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "dawn.".

“East” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

East and west are opposite directions on the compass. East is where the sun appears to rise and the direction the Earth rotates toward; west is where the sun sets, directly opposite. If you face the sunrise, east is straight ahead and west is directly behind you.

The sun rises in the east because the Earth spins toward the east, turning from west to east on its axis. As your part of the planet rotates into the sunlight, the sun seems to climb up from the eastern horizon. It only appears to move; in truth, the ground beneath you is turning.

Capitalized, 'the East' usually refers to a region rather than a pure direction. It often means Asia and its cultures — sometimes called the Orient — as in 'the Far East.' It can also describe the eastern part of a country, such as the East Coast of the United States.