fasting means abstinence or mortification for religious reasons, especially abstinence from food. It carries an Arena rating of 1347, earned across 14 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, fasting ranks #1,077 of 13,217 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #2,266 of 13,217 for Most Malleable Words, #5,499 of 13,217 for Most Elegant Words, #6,081 of 13,217 for Funniest Words.
fasting is pronounced /ˈfæstɪŋ/.
Why “fasting” is a great word
The voluntary abstention from all or some kinds of food or drink, often for religious, spiritual, health, or disciplinary reasons. From the verb 'fast' (meaning to abstain from food) + the suffix '-ing' (forming a verbal noun). The verb 'fast' derives from Old English 'fæstan', from Proto-Germanic '*fastijaną' ("to hold fast, observe strictly"), related to the notion of holding firmly to a religious observance. Unlike "dieting," which implies a regulated, long-term pattern of consumption, or "abstinence," a broad term for refraining from any indulgence, fasting is a deliberate and temporary surrender of sustenance. It is the hollow silence of a stomach at noon, the sharpened clarity of a mind unclouded by digestion, and the profound humility of choosing emptiness—a physical act that seeks to make space for something immaterial.
Etymology
By surface analysis, fast + -ing.
noun
- Abstinence or mortification for religious reasons, especially abstinence from food.“Long vigils—fastings that wore away the strength of day—prayers that banished sleep from night—hoarded vengeance, that, like a fire, consumed its abode—affections crushed to the very earth—a memory whose love was with the grave,—a faith that had coloured itself with mortal passion,—all these had pressed too heavily on the springs of life and thought;...”
- Abstinence from food, limiting caloric intake, for medical or health reasons, dieting.“an obese patient while he was undergoing fasting for weight reduction”
Words closest in meaning
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