Feed — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

Meaning & Definition of Feed

Feed (verb)

to give food to
to give as food
to furnish something essential to the development, sustenance, maintenance, or operation of

Feed (noun)

an act of eating
meal; especially, a large meal
food for livestock; specifically, a mixture or preparation for feeding livestock

Feed (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

to provide food or meals for

"a charity dedicated to feeding the hungry"

similar: board, cater, provision, victual

related: serve, wait, nourish, nurture, sustain, banquet, dine, feast, regale, mess, batten, fatten, fill, force-feed, overfeed, surfeit, underfeed, hand-feed, spoon-feed, refeed, reprovision
to put (something) into the possession of someone for use or consumption

"all week long colleagues have been feeding me ideas for a magazine article"

similar: deliver, furnish, give, hand, hand over, provide, supply

related: ply (with), administer, allocate, apportion, deal (out), dispense, distribute, dole out, mete (out), parcel (out), portion, prorate, assign, cede, deed, make over, transfer

opposite: hold (back), keep (back), reserve, retain, withhold

near: conserve, keep up, maintain, preserve, save
to take a meal

"an all-you-can-eat buffet where families can feed heartily and fairly inexpensively"

similar: dine, eat, fare, partake, refresh, victual, break bread

related: banquet, feast, repast, chow (down), dig in, glut, gorge, gormandize, overeat, overfeed, pig out, graze, nibble, nosh, pick, snack, board, mess, dine out, breakfast, lunch, sup, picnic

near: diet, fast

Feed (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

a large fancy meal often accompanied by ceremony or entertainment

"the company barbecue was an elaborate feed that was enlivened by country music and dancing"

similar: banquet, dinner, feast, regale, spread

related: chow, mess, repast, table, blowout, carnival, festival, fete, gala, party, shindig, festivity, barbecue, clambake, cookout, fry, luau, roast, buffet, luncheon, smorgasbord
food eaten or prepared for eating at one time

"after soccer practice we were all ready for a hot shower and a satisfying feed"

similar: chow, meal, menu, mess, refection, repast, table

related: board, breakfast, buffet, collation, dinner, lunch, luncheon, refreshments, smorgasbord, snack, supper, tea, bite, gulp, morsel, serving, taste, banquet, feast, regale, spread, bake, barbecue, clambake, cookout, fry, fry-up (British), luau, picnic, potluck, roast

Related Entry: Fee (verb)

Fee is a different word from Feed. The synonyms below are for fee, not for feed.

to provide with a paying job

"the townspeople fee country lasses as housemaids, nurses, and cooks"

similar: assume, employ, engage, hire, lay on (chiefly British), pay, place, recruit, retain, sign (up or on), take on

related: reemploy, reengage, rehire, apprentice, contract, job, partner, subcontract, enlist, advance, promote, upgrade, keep (on), headhunt, scout

opposite: ax, can, discharge, dismiss, fire, sack

near: furlough, lay off, lock out

Related Entry: Feed (on, upon, or off) (verb)

Feed (on, upon, or off) is a different word from Feed. The synonyms below are for feed (on, upon, or off), not for feed.

to seize and eat (something) as prey

"the flycatcher is a bird that—as its name suggests—feeds on winged insects in midair"

similar: prey (on or upon)

related: chase, hunt, pursue, stalk, destroy, dispatch, do in, fell, kill, slay

Related Entry: Breast-feed (verb)

Breast-feed is a different word from Feed. The synonyms below are for breast-feed, not for feed.

to give milk to from the breast

"believes that all women should breast-feed their babies"

similar: nurse, suckle, wet-nurse

related: bottle-feed

Related Entry: Chicken feed (noun)

Chicken feed is a different word from Feed. The synonyms below are for chicken feed, not for feed.

a very small sum of money

"I'm sick of working for chicken feed—I want a job where I can bring home some real dough"

similar: chump change, dime, hay, mite, peanuts, pin money, pittance, shoestring, song, two cents

related: petty cash, pocket money, spending money

opposite: big buck(s), boodle, bundle, fortune, king's ransom, megabuck(s), mint, wad

near: bankroll, capital, funds, means, wherewithal, opulence, pelf, riches, treasure, wealth, heap, pile, pot, bonanza, mine, treasure trove, treasury

Related Entry: Bottle-feed (verb)

Bottle-feed is a different word from Feed. The synonyms below are for bottle-feed, not for feed.

as in nurse, wet-nurse

similar: breast-feed, nurse, suckle, wet-nurse

Related Entry: Force-feed (verb)

Force-feed is a different word from Feed. The synonyms below are for force-feed, not for feed.

as in overfeed, surfeit

similar: overfeed, surfeit, batten, fatten, fill, underfeed, mess, hand-feed, spoon-feed, banquet, dine, feast, regale, refeed, reprovision, nourish, nurture, sustain, serve, wait, board, cater, feed, provision, victual

Related Entry: Hand-feed (verb)

Hand-feed is a different word from Feed. The synonyms below are for hand-feed, not for feed.

as in spoon-feed

similar: spoon-feed, underfeed, refeed, reprovision, force-feed, overfeed, surfeit, batten, fatten, fill, mess, banquet, dine, feast, regale, nourish, nurture, sustain, serve, wait, board, cater, feed, provision, victual

Related Entry: Spoon-feed (verb)

Spoon-feed is a different word from Feed. The synonyms below are for spoon-feed, not for feed.

as in hand-feed

similar: hand-feed, underfeed, refeed, reprovision, force-feed, overfeed, surfeit, batten, fatten, fill, mess, banquet, dine, feast, regale, nourish, nurture, sustain, serve, wait, board, cater, feed, provision, victual

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Feed

The most common words with a similar meaning to Feed:

board, cater, provision, victual, deliver, furnish, give, hand, hand over, provide, supply, dine, eat, fare, partake, refresh, break bread, banquet, dinner, feast, regale, spread, chow, meal, menu, mess, refection, repast, table

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Feed

Words with the opposite meaning of Feed:

hold (back), keep (back), reserve, retain, withhold

Related Words for Feed

Near Antonyms of Feed

conserve, keep up, maintain, preserve, save, diet, fast

Word Forms of Feed

Inflections: fed, feeding

Origin & Etymology of Feed

Middle English feden, from Old English fēdan; akin to Old English fōda food food

First known use: before 12th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Feed

CEFR level: A2 English Vocabulary — Page 7
Topics: Food & Drinks

Words & Phrases Containing Feed

feed dog, feed off, feed one's face, feed on/upon, feed (someone) a line, feed (someone) up, feed the meter

Frequently Asked Questions about Feed

What does "Feed" mean?

"Feed" means to give food to. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to give food to. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Feed"?

Other words for "Feed" include board, cater, provision, victual, deliver, furnish, give and hand. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Feed" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Feed"?

There are 108 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Feed". Common alternatives include board, cater, provision, victual, deliver, furnish, give, hand, hand over and provide.

What is the opposite of "Feed"?

Antonyms of "Feed" include hold (back), keep (back), reserve, retain and withhold. Near antonyms include conserve, keep up, maintain and preserve.

How do you use "Feed" in a sentence?

Examples of "Feed" in a sentence: "a charity dedicated to feeding the hungry"; "all week long colleagues have been feeding me ideas for a magazine article"; "an all-you-can-eat buffet where families can feed heartily and fairly inexpensively".

Is "Feed" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Feed" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Feed" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Feed" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Feed"?

"Feed" is pronounced /ˈfēd/.