supper
SUH-puh
Supper (noun) means a light meal eaten in the evening, sometimes shortly before bed. Example: “We had tea and toast for supper.”
noun
1
A light meal eaten in the evening, sometimes shortly before bed.
"We had tea and toast for supper."
"Grandma always serves supper at seven."
"Before bed she had a small supper of cheese and crackers."
2
The evening meal in general; dinner eaten at night rather than midday.
"What are we having for supper tonight?"
"We eat a big lunch at midday, so supper is usually quite late."
"After a long day at work, he cooked supper for the whole family."
How to use supper
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe evening meal, sometimes lighter than a full dinner.
UK vs US
In parts of the UK, especially the north and Scotland, "supper" can mean the main evening meal, while elsewhere it implies a lighter late snack.
Common pairings
Sunday supper
fish supper
have supper
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Word forms
- Plural
- suppers
- Third person singular
- suppers
- Past tense
- suppered
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
We had tea and toast for _____.
Etymology
From Old French soper, related to sope ("soup") — the meal was originally associated with a light soup course. Compare French souper.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for supper
See all rhymes for supper →Frequently asked questions
What does “supper” mean?
The word “supper” means a light meal eaten in the evening, sometimes shortly before bed. In plain terms, the evening meal, sometimes lighter than a full dinner.
How do you pronounce “supper”?
“Supper” is pronounced SUH-puh (/ˈsʌpɚ/ in IPA).
How do you use “supper” in a sentence?
Here is “supper” used in a sentence: “We had tea and toast for supper.”
What part of speech is “supper”?
“Supper” is a noun.
Where does the word “supper” come from?
The word “supper” comes from Old French. From Old French soper, related to sope ("soup") — the meal was originally associated with a light soup course. Compare French souper.
Is “supper” a common word?
“Supper” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “supper” have?
“Supper” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a light meal eaten in the evening, sometimes shortly before bed.
What is the difference between supper and dinner?
"Dinner" is generally used for the main meal of the day, which can be at midday or in the evening depending on region and habit, while "supper" specifically refers to the evening meal, and in some usages implies a lighter meal eaten shortly before bed. In many households the two words are used interchangeably for the evening meal.
Is "supper" formal or informal?
"Supper" tends to sound homely, traditional, or regional rather than formal, and is common in certain dialects and older or rural usage where the evening meal is called supper rather than dinner. It is not typically used for a formal restaurant meal, where "dinner" is more standard.
What is the difference between supper and tea as words for an evening meal?
Both "supper" and "tea" can refer to an evening meal in certain British dialects, but "supper" more often implies the general evening meal or a light meal close to bedtime, while "tea" traditionally refers to an early evening meal, sometimes including tea itself as a drink. Usage of both terms varies significantly by region and household.
