toast
noun · verb
Simple meaning
Bread that has been toasted.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
tohstIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈtoʊst
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
chiefly uncountable
Bread that has been toasted (cooked lightly by browning).
Slices of bread that have been toasted
countable
A proposed salutation (e.g. saying "cheers") while drinking alcohol.
countable
A person, group, or notable object to which a salutation with alcohol is made; a person or group held in similar esteem.
uncountableslangchiefly us
Something that is irreparably damaged or used up, especially when destroyed by heat or fire; something which has been burnt to a crisp or incinerated.
uncountableslangchiefly us
Something that will be no more; something subject to impending destruction, harm or injury.
verb
transitive
To cook lightly by browning via direct exposure to a fire or other heat source.
transitive
To warm thoroughly.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Bread that has been toasted (cooked lightly by browning).
Used this way, toast is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a food and cooking use: everyday in kitchens and recipes.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where it naturally appears
- Cooking/food
- Everyday conversation
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use toast
- “He was the toast of the town.”noun
- “Let us toast the birthday girl!”verb
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
Someone who proposes a toast.
Cooking to a brown crispiness over a fire or on a grill.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Kitchen appliance consisting of a small electric oven for toasting or warming food.
A woman toastmaster.
Long-handled fork for cooking or toasting frankfurters or bread etc. (especially over an open fire).
Buttered toast with sugar and cinnamon (and nutmeg and grated lemon peel).
Bread slice dipped in egg and milk and fried.
Very thin crisp brown toast.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
The person who proposes toasts and introduces speakers at a banquet.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “toast” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.