east
east
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "east" is /iːst/.
/iːs/
/t/
Word Form Variations
Noun:
Singular: east
Plural: The East (referring to a region, e.g., the Middle East) - note: "easts" is not a standard plural for the direction.
Adjective: east
Adverb: east
Verb: east (less common, usually used in a nautical or directional sense, e.g., "to east a ship")
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: The cardinal compass point directly opposite west, corresponding to the direction from which the sun appears to rise.
Synonyms: orient, sunrise direction
Antonyms: west, occident, sunset direction
Definition 2: (Often capitalized "the East") A general geographical or cultural region that lies to the east of a specified point or of Europe, typically encompassing Asia and sometimes Eastern Europe.
Synonyms: Orient, Eastern world
Antonyms: West, Occident, Western world
Adjective
Definition 1: Situated toward, facing, or coming from the direction of the east.
Example: "The east wind brought a chill to the air."
Synonyms: eastern, eastward
Antonyms: west, western, westward
Adverb
Definition 1: In or toward the direction of the east.
Example: "The birds flew east for the winter."
Synonyms: eastward, easterly
Antonyms: west, westward, westerly
Verb
Definition 1: (Less common) To move or direct something toward the east.
Example: "The captain decided to east the ship towards the rising sun."
Synonyms: orient (in a directional sense), steer eastward
Antonyms: west, steer westward
Examples of Use
Books:
"He had spent his youth drifting through the East, a land of ancient mysteries and vibrant cultures." (Fictitious example, but representative of how "the East" is used in literature)
"The train chugged steadily east, carrying them further into the vast plains."
Newspapers:
"Tensions continue to rise in the Middle East as peace talks stall." (The New York Times)
"An east wind swept across the coast, bringing with it a refreshing coolness." (Local Gazette)
Online Publications:
"Travel bloggers share their top tips for exploring the cuisine of Southeast Asia." (Condé Nast Traveler online)
"Researchers track the migration patterns of birds flying east for the winter." (National Geographic online)
Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: "Go East, Young Man!" (a common directional phrase, often satirized or referenced in films, e.g., "Go West, Young Man" from the American westward expansion)
Television: "The detective followed the suspect's car heading east on Highway 1." (Crime drama series, episode aired November 2024)
Music: "And the sun rises in the east, a new day begins." (Lyrics from a contemporary folk song, released October 2023)
Video Games: "Your next quest objective is to proceed east through the Whispering Woods." (In-game text from a fantasy role-playing game, released March 2024)
General Public Discourse:
"The new apartment has a lovely east-facing balcony, perfect for morning coffee."
"We're planning to drive east to visit my cousins next summer."
"From this point, the school is directly to the east."
"The sun always rises in the east."
10 Quotes Using East
"East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet." (Rudyard Kipling, "The Ballad of East and West")
"The East is a career." (Benjamin Disraeli)
"From the East to the West, from the North to the South, let the church arise and shine." (T.D. Jakes)
"Oh, to be in England / Now that April’s there, / And whoever wakes in England / Sees, some morning, unaware, / That the lowest boughs and the brushwood sheaf / Round the elm-tree bole are in tiny leaf." (Robert Browning, "Home Thoughts, From Abroad" - Note: While the full poem does not contain "east", this quote often precedes or is associated with discussions of a return from the "east" implicitly present in the poem's context of longing for England while abroad.)
"The sun also rises in the East." (Ecclesiastes 1:5)
"When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions. First, his father slain; next, your son gone; and he himself gone too; and what's more, an ominous silence from the East." (William Shakespeare, Hamlet - adapted slightly for brevity and focus on "east")
"Never look for me to the east or the west; just look up." (African proverb)
"Go East, young man, and grow up with the country." (Attributed to Horace Greeley, though his actual quote was "Go West, young man")
"And the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was." (Matthew 2:9, King James Version)
"The wind blows from the east and from the west." (Proverb)
Etymology
The word "east" has a very old and interesting history, tied directly to the most basic human experience: the rising sun.
Think about it this way: for early humans, the sun appearing each morning from a particular direction was a crucial event. That direction became "the place where the sun rises."
The word "east" comes to us from Old English, where it was spelled "ēast." This Old English word, in turn, came from a much older language family called Proto-Germanic. In Proto-Germanic, the word was something like "aus-to-" or "austra-", which meant "east" or "toward the sunrise."
But the journey of the word goes even further back, to a hypothetical ancient language called Proto-Indo-European. This is like the great-grandparent of many languages spoken across Europe and parts of Asia. The root word there was "aus-", and it had a very specific meaning: "to shine" or "dawn."
So, the very first known meaning of "east" was directly linked to the idea of light appearing in the morning. It was the direction from which the sun would "shine" and bring the "dawn." This makes perfect sense, as the sun's rising is the most prominent natural marker of that direction.
Even today, you can see hints of this ancient root in other words:
Aurora: The Roman goddess of dawn, also a beautiful display of light in the sky (the aurora borealis).
Easter: The Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection, which is traditionally associated with the rising sun and new beginnings.
The word "east" has been used in English to refer to that cardinal direction since before the year 900. It quickly also came to mean "the eastern part of the world" (especially when referring to Asia from a European perspective) around the 1300s.
Phrases + Idioms Containing East
East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet: This idiom, from Rudyard Kipling, implies that cultures or individuals from vastly different backgrounds may never fully understand or reconcile with each other.
Go East, young man: An adaptation of the famous "Go West, young man," suggesting opportunities or a new beginning in an eastern direction.
The Middle East: A common geographical term referring to a region encompassing Western Asia and parts of North Africa.
Far East: A geographical term for the countries of East Asia, including China, Japan, and Korea.
East End (of London): Refers to the historic working-class area of London, distinct from the more affluent West End.
East-West divide: Describes a perceived cultural, economic, or political division between Eastern and Western regions or ideologies.
To be facing east: Literally means to be oriented towards the east, but can sometimes imply a certain outlook or direction.
The sun rises in the east: A fundamental directional fact, often used proverbially to refer to something unchanging or undeniable.
Eastward bound: Heading in an easterly direction.
The Orient (using a synonym for "East"): Historically used to refer to the countries of Asia, often carrying connotations of mystery or exoticism.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of east from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
