Basic Details
Word: Lest
Part of Speech: Conjunction
Meaning: So that something does not happen; for fear that. It is a formal word, used more in writing than in speech.
Sounds like: least (the smallest in amount or degree)
Word origin: Comes from Old English thy laes the, meaning whereby less that.
How to Spell Lest
Syllables: lest
Tricky part: Lest has only four letters and no a. Students often write least, which is a different word meaning the smallest amount.
Watch out for: lesst, leest
Memory tip: Lest is less with its last s swapped for a t: you take care so that there is less chance of trouble.
Usage Examples
Example 1: He wrote the train number on his hand lest he forget it.
Example 2: The guide spoke softly lest the tiger in the grass hear us.
Example 3: Keep the milk in the fridge lest it turn sour in this heat.
Fun Fact
The words Lest we forget, carved on many war memorials, come from Recessional, a poem Rudyard Kipling wrote in 1897.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
One word in the list is misspelt. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. unless 2. albeit 3. lesst 4. whereas
a) although; even though
b) except if
c) so that something does not happen
d) while on the other hand
Show answer
c) so that something does not happen. Lesst should be lest, with one s; it is used to warn against something that might happen.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
Pack a raincoat for the trek etls the clouds open on the way down.
a) unless
b) lest
c) since
d) until
Show answer
b) lest. The four letters e, t, l, s make lest, which also fits the meaning: pack the raincoat in case it rains.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Grandmother covered the plate of laddoos with a cloth leest the flies settle on them before the guests arrive.
a) leest
b) guests
c) settle
d) Grandmother
Show answer
a) leest. Lest has a single e, just like less.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which sentence uses lest correctly?
a) She came lest of all the girls.
b) I have lest my pencil at home.
c) Speak quietly lest you wake the baby.
d) He ate the lest amount of rice.
Show answer
c) Speak quietly lest you wake the baby.
2. Lest is closest in meaning to ____.
a) so long as
b) for fear that
c) even though
d) as soon as
Show answer
b) for fear that
