Definitions For Lest

Conjunction

{{en-con}} For fear#noun, fear that; that not; in order that not; in case. : {{synonyms, en, before#conjunction, before, q1=informal}} : {{ux, en, He won’t go outside, lest he be eaten by those ravenous eagles.}} After certain expressions denoting fear or apprehension: that {{non-gloss definition, without the negative particle}}.

Usage notes

The word lest is usually followed by a verb in the {{w, subjunctive mood}} in either the present or future tense. For example: Lest they be captured, the soldiers fled from the battlefield. :: Let him attend the ceremony which commemorates the achievements of his ancestors, lest he forget. In the future tense, when it is differentiated from the present, it usually goes with should. :: Let us get to the station early, lest we should miss our connection.

Translations

Arabic: خِيفَةَ أَنَّ, مَخَافَةَ أَن Bikol Central: harambili Bulgarian: от страх да не Chinese: : Mandarin: 以免, tr=yǐmiǎn Czech: ze strachu, že ..., v případě, že ... Dutch: uit angst dat French: peur, de peur que Georgian: რათა არ, sc=Geor German: fürchtend, dass; in der furcht, dass Greek: : Ancient: μή, μήποτε Hebrew: פֶּן, tr=pen Hungarian: nehogy Irish: ar eagla go Italian: per paura che Khmer: ក្រែង, tr=kraeŋ, sc=Khmr Maori: kei tūpono Portuguese: para que, a fim de que ... não Romanian: în caz că Russian: страх, из страха, что Serbo-Croatian: iz straha da ne, da ne bi Slovene: da ne bi Spanish: no vaya a ser que...; por temor/miedo a... Bengali: পাছে Bulgarian: да не, за да не Czech: aby ... ne Dutch: opdat ... niet Finnish: ettei, jottei French: pour que (+ ne ... pas + verb in subj. mood) German: bevor, auf dass nicht Greek: : Ancient: μή, μήποτε Hungarian: nehogy Latin: nē Maori: kei Russian: чтобы, чтобы не, и́на́че Serbo-Croatian: da, alt=da ne, kako, alt=kako ne ... Spanish: a fin de evitar ... Swedish: så att inte {{qualifier, literally}} Latin: nē Romanian: care

See also

judge not lest ye be judged in case lest we forget

Etymology

{{circa2, 1200, short=yes}}, contracted from Middle English , les te, t=less that, from {{inh, en, ang, þy læs þe, t=whereby less that}}, from þy (instrumental case of demonstrative article þæt “that”) + læs, , less + þe, , the. The þy was dropped and the remaining two words contracted into leste.{{R:Online Etymology Dictionary}}

Anagrams

ELTs, LETS, LTEs, TESL, elts, let's, lets, tels