feast off

USAGE SUMMARY

"feast off" is not correct and usable in written English.
It does not make any sense. It should be "feast on" meaning to enjoy a plentiful and delightful meal. Example sentence: We feasted on a delicious meal of roast chicken and mashed potatoes.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Travel

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

21 human-written examples

Gone, Giambi said, are the days when hitters knew they could feast off slop-throwing middle relievers and fifth starters.

The New York Times - Sports

For the grand total of €11 you can feast off a pasta, followed by a main course, dessert, water, wine and coffee.

The Guardian - Travel

The lunchtime menu is dominated by meat, and for €15 you can feast off a steaming plate of pasta, one of the dishes of the day, vegetables, wine and coffee.

The Guardian - Travel

"They're coming in here seeing how we are decimated by injuries and they think they can feast off us," Collins said, not so much about the Brewers but the entire league.

The New York Times - Sports

Even Hemingway struggled with this city, working on a memoir of his poor early days, "A Moveable Feast," off and on for years, before it was finally published after his death.

The New York Times - Travel

Reserve a table in a cosy wood-panelled alcove, begin with a traditional Veneto "pasta e fagioli" soup, order a bottle of Amarone wine, then feast off the speciality roast meats served from a carvery trolley.

The Guardian - Travel

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

39 human-written examples

He most recently performed in Babette's Feast Off-Broadway at Theatre at St . Clements.

Princeton University

The fact is, in March and April you are planting a lot of vegetables but you are probably feasting off the last of the storage crops.

The Washington Post

Mostly it was that Tévez is an ungrateful brat, a grossly overpaid, selfish manifestation of the multimillion-dollar culture feasting off the riches of the English Premier League and the Champions League.

The New York Times - Sports

Dickey tried to make sure the crowd's energy did not accelerate his pace, but he feasted off the competitive environment — whether it was remaining resilient on the mound or sliding into home.

The New York Times - Sports

Mostly it was that T z is an ungrateful brat, a grossly overpaid, selfish manifestation of the multimillion-dollar culture feasting off the riches of the English Premier League and the Champions League.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "feast off" in formal writing. Opt for grammatically correct alternatives like "feast on" or contextually relevant phrases like "capitalize on" or "take advantage of" for clearer communication.

Common error

The preposition "off" typically indicates separation or removal, which doesn't align with the intended meaning of enjoying a meal or exploiting a situation. Using "on" correctly conveys the act of consuming or benefiting from something.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "feast off" is intended to function as a verb phrase, suggesting the act of consuming something abundantly. However, according to Ludwig AI, it's grammatically incorrect. The correct form is to "feast on" something.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Travel

20%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Science

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "feast off" appears in some contexts, particularly in news and travel writing, it is generally considered grammatically incorrect. According to Ludwig AI, the correct phrase to use is "feast on" when referring to enjoying a plentiful meal. When the intention is to describe exploiting a situation, alternatives like "capitalize on" or "take advantage of" are more appropriate. Therefore, it's best to avoid using the phrase "feast off" in formal writing to maintain clarity and grammatical accuracy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

feast on

Replaces "off" with "on" to create a grammatically correct phrase meaning to eat a large and delicious meal.

gorge on

Conveys the sense of overeating, similar to feasting, but with a more negative connotation of excess.

feed on

Indicates sustaining oneself by consuming something, maintaining the biological sense of "feast" but with a broader application.

capitalize on

Shifts the meaning to taking advantage of something, instead of eating, while maintaining a similar exploitative connotation.

prey on

Focuses on exploiting a weakness or vulnerability, changing the context from food to a more predatory action.

take advantage of

Offers a more general way to describe exploiting a situation, losing the specific nuance of a feeding frenzy.

exploit

Provides a direct and concise alternative for leveraging a situation, omitting the figurative language of "feast".

thrive on

Implies deriving benefit or energy from something, altering the sense from consumption to growth.

profit from

Replaces the literal "eating" context with that of profiting from a commercial point of view, maintaining a positive result outcome.

indulge in

Suggests enjoying something pleasurable, changing the connotation from a necessary consumption to a delightful one.

FAQs

What's the correct way to say enjoy a large meal?

The correct phrase is to "feast on", which means to eat a large and delicious meal. "Feast off" is grammatically incorrect.

What can I say instead of "feast off" to mean take advantage of?

Instead of "feast off", you can use alternatives like "capitalize on" or "take advantage of", which accurately convey the meaning of exploiting a situation.

Is "feast off" ever correct in English?

No, "feast off" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. The proper expression for enjoying a plentiful meal is "feast on".

What is the difference between "feast on" and "feast off"?

"Feast on" means to eat a large and delicious meal with great enjoyment. "Feast off" doesn't have a recognized meaning in standard English and should be avoided.