east

1 of 3

adverb

ˈēst 

: to, toward, or in the east

east

2 of 3

adjective

1

: situated toward or at the east

an east window

2

: coming from the east

an east wind

east

3 of 3

noun

1

a

: the general direction of sunrise : the direction toward the right of one facing north

b

: the compass point directly opposite to west

2

capitalized

a

: regions lying to the east of a specified or implied point of orientation

b

: regions having a culture derived from ancient non-European especially Asian areas

3

: the altar end of a church

4

often capitalized

a

: the one of four positions at 90-degree intervals that lies to the east or at the right of a diagram

b

: a person (such as a bridge player) occupying this position in the course of a specified activity

Examples of east in a Sentence

Adjective

the east side of town

Noun

The city is framed by mountain ranges to the east and west.

The wind blew from the east.

This summer has been unusually hot in the East.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Heavy traffic was also reported on Glendale Avenue, running north alongside the nearby Westgate Entertainment District, along parts of Cardinals Way, just south of the stadium, and along much of 91st Avenue just east of it. —Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 2025

Looking ahead, the threat for flash flooding in the Southwest will shift farther east on Monday, covering a good portion of Arizona and western New Mexico, as shower activity increases over the region. —Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2025

Adjective

Crosswalks on the north and east side of the Capitol Boulevard and Myrtle Street intersection will remain closed, according to the ACHD. —Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 27 Sep. 2025

In the past Heaven's Table had a stand at the Crossroads Collective on Milwaukee's east side. —Angelika Ytuarte, jsonline.com, 26 Sep. 2025

Noun

The street sign toppers to recognize Benton will be at the intersections of Ramey Avenue and Robert Hughes Street and Fitzhugh Avenue and Robert Hughes Street east of Dunbar High School. —Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2025

The center of Gabrielle is expected to pass east of Bermuda tonight, the hurricane center said on Monday. —Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English est, from Old English ēast; akin to Old High German ōstar to the east, Latin aurora dawn, Greek ēōs, heōs

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing east

• back east
• down east
• east by north
• east by south
• east-northeast
• east-southeast
• north by east
• northeast by east
• south by east
• southeast by east
• the east

Rhymes for east

• beast
• ceased
• creased
• feast
• fleeced
• geest
• greased
• leased
• least
• pieced
• priest
• yeast

Kids Definition

east

1 of 3 adverb

ˈēst 

: to or toward the east

east

2 of 3 adjective

1

: located toward or at the east

the east door of the school

2

: coming from the east

an east wind

east

3 of 3 noun

1

a

: the general direction of sunrise

b

: the compass point directly opposite to west

2

capitalized : regions or countries east of a specific place