Definitions and meaning of lest
lest
English
Etymology
c. 1200, contracted from Middle English les te (“less that”), from Old English þȳ lǣs þe (“whereby less that”), from þȳ (instrumental case of demonstrative article þæt (“that”)) + lǣs (“less”) + þe (“that,” relative particle). The þȳ was dropped and the remaining two words contracted into leste.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /lɛst/
- (obsolete) IPA(key): /liːst/
- (Early Modern) IPA(key): /lɛst/, /lɛːst/
Conjunction
lest (formal, literary)
- For fear that; that not; in order to prevent something from happening; in case.
- Synonym: (informal) before
- (after certain expressions denoting fear or apprehension) that (without the negative particle; introduces the reason for an emotion.)
Usage notes
- This word has become archaic for many English speakers.
- lest is usually followed by a verb in the subjunctive mood in either the present or future tense.
- For example:
- Lest they be captured, the soldiers fled from the battlefield.
- Let him attend the ceremony which commemorates the achievements of his ancestors, lest he forget.
- In the future tense, when it is differentiated from the present, it is usually combined with should:
- Let us get to the station early, lest we should miss our connection.
Translations
See also
References
Anagrams
- SELT, let's, TESL, LETS, ELTs, TLEs, LTEs, lets, tels, elts
Czech
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Slavic *lьstь, from Gothic 𐌻𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍃 (lists), from Proto-Germanic *listiz.
Pronunciation
Noun
lest f
- trick, ruse
- stratagem
Declension
Derived terms
Further reading
- “lest”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
- “lest”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
- “lest”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025
Anagrams
Dutch
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Middle Dutch lest.
Adjective
lest (not comparable)
- (dialectal, otherwise archaic) Alternative form of laatst
Declension
Adverb
lest
- (dialectal, otherwise archaic) Alternative form of laatst
Derived terms
References
- van der Sijs, Nicoline, editor (2010), “lest”, in Etymologiebank, Meertens Institute
- Matthias de Vries, Lambert Allard te Winkel (1864) “lest”, in Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal, published 2001
Etymology 2
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Verb
lest
- inflection of lessen:
- second/third-person singular present indicative
- (archaic) plural imperative
French
Etymology
Inherited from Old French last, lest, from Old Dutch last, from Proto-Germanic *hlastuz.
Pronunciation
Noun
lest m (plural lests)
- dead weight; ballast
Derived terms
Further reading
- “lest”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Anagrams
German
Pronunciation
Verb
lest
- inflection of lesen:
- second-person plural present
- plural imperative
Hungarian
Etymology
les + -t
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈlɛʃt]
- Hyphenation: lest
- Rhymes: -ɛʃt
Noun
lest
- accusative singular of les
Icelandic
Etymology
From Middle Low German last.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈlɛst/
- Rhymes: -ɛst
Noun
lest f (genitive singular lestar, nominative plural lestir or (chiefly of freight (on a ship)) lestar)
- train, file, row, line
- Synonym: röð
- railway train
- Synonym: járnbrautarlest
- cargo hold
- Synonyms: lestarrúm, vörurúm
- ton
- Synonym: tonn
- (obsolete) cargo, burden, load
- Synonyms: byrði, farmur
- (nautical) freight, cargo
Declension
Derived terms
- bílalest (“convoy of cars”)
- hraðlest (“high speed train”)
- járnbrautarlest (“railroad train”)
- neðanjarðarlest (“underground train”)
- rúmlest (“register ton”)
- skipalest (“convoy of ships”)
- smálest (“metric ton”)
- snarlest (“rapid transit train”)
- ulfaldalest (“convoy of camels”)
Related terms
- lesta (“to load, to fill with cargo”)
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology 1
Pronunciation
Verb
lest
- supine of lese
Etymology 2
From Old Norse leistr, from Proto-Germanic *laistaz.
Pronunciation
Noun
lest m (definite singular lesten, indefinite plural lester, definite plural lestene)
- a last (a tool in the shape of a human foot, for shaping or preserving the shape of shoes)
- (clothing) the foot-part of a stocking
Alternative forms
- (non-standard since 2005) leist
Etymology 3
Pronunciation
Verb
lest (present tense lest, past tense lest)
- form removed with the spelling reform of 2005; superseded by less
References
- “lest” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Anagrams
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology 1
From Old Norse leistr m, from Proto-Germanic *laistaz m (“track, trace; footprint”), from Proto-Indo-European *lóystos, from the root *leys- (“to trace, track”). Akin to English last, Swedish läst, and German Leisten.
Alternative forms
Noun
lest m (definite singular lesten, indefinite plural lestar, definite plural lestane)
- a last (a tool in the shape of a human foot, for shaping or preserving the shape of shoes)
- (clothing) the foot-part of a stocking
Derived terms
Etymology 2
From Old Norse lest f, from either Old English hlæst, Old Frisian hlest, or Middle Low German last. In any case, from Proto-Germanic *hlastuz and Doublet of last m.
Noun
lest m (definite singular lesten, indefinite plural lester or lestar, definite plural lestene or lestane)
- (historical) An old measure of volume, about 12 to 24 barrels.
- (historical) An old measure of weight, about half up until a full dozen skippund.
- (historical, nautical) An old unit of measure on the freight capacity of a ship.
Derived terms
Etymology 3
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Verb
lest
- past of låst
Etymology 4
From the verb leiste (“to grow over”).
Noun
lest m (definite singular lesten, indefinite plural lestar, definite plural lestane)
- straws and grasses that grow close to each other
- sprouting grasses and grains
References
Anagrams
Romanian
Etymology
Borrowed from French lest.
Noun
lest n (plural lesturi)
- ballast
Declension
Source: wiktionary.org