Eid

noun

ˈēd 

plural Eids

: either of two Islamic festivals:

a

or Eid al-Adha

ˈēd-əl-ˈäd-(h)ə  -ˈəd- 

: an Islamic festival that begins on the 10th day of Dhu'l-Hijja, that lasts four days, and that commemorates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Ishmael

… many people in the Arab world facing grinding economic crisis as the year's biggest Muslim festival approaches … are looking at the prospect of a lean Eid.

—Kuwait Times

On the first day of Eid al-Adha, Muslims who are able to do so mirror the behaviour of the prophet. They slaughter animals such as sheep, cows and goats in the name of Allah, and share it amongst family, friends and the needy.

—Ramazani Mwamba

—often used before another noun

Eid prayers

b

or Eid al-Fitr

ˈēd-əl-ˈfi-tər 

: an Islamic festival that takes place during the first three days of Shawwal and marks the end of Ramadan with prayer, gifts, and sweets

At the end of Ramadan, we relish the relaxing mood of ‎Eid, because we can break our fast and enjoy our time with ‎family, friends, and community.

—Abdulrahman Bindamnan

For the three-day celebration Eid al-Fitr, which concludes the holy month, families host banquets, exchange gifts and feast on everything from … whole stuffed lamb to rice pudding and pistachio cakes.

—Nancy Matsumoto

—often used before another noun

Eid celebrations

see also eid mubarak

Examples of Eid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Lebaran is the Indonesian popular name for two Islamic official holidays, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha in Indonesia, and is one of the major national holidays in the country. —Roger Sands, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025

Ramadan, the most sacred month in Islam, kicks off at sundown and concludes on Sunday, March 30 with a grand celebration, Eid al-Fitr. —Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025

The day after the end of Ramadan is called Eid al-Fitr, the festival of breaking the fast, which take places once the new moon is seen. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025

Rabat Reuters — King Mohammed VI of Morocco asked Moroccans on Wednesday to abstain from performing the rite of slaughtering sheep on Eid al-Adha this year due to a drop in the country’s herd following years of drought. —Reuters, CNN, 27 Feb. 2025

Coming live from next month on the morning of Eid, the show will spotlight 1,500 worshippers at Bradford Central Mosque. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 27 Feb. 2025

Roberto Eid Forest, the head of the local police, told reporters that investigators went to the suspect's home after the attack but did not provide additional information. —Astha Rajvanshi, NBC News, 4 Feb. 2025

In Rafah, Al-Sheikh Eid said that preliminary estimates indicated around 70% of the buildings had been partially or completely destroyed, adding that all communication networks, water systems, sewage systems and electricity infrastructure had also been demolished. —Astha Rajvanshi, NBC News, 23 Jan. 2025

An imbalance in railroad capacity in Bangladesh may pose a problem for cargo transportation throughout the country in the coming months as a current pileup could roll into Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr in March. —Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 14 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Arabic ʽīd al-ʼaḍḥā "Festival of the Sacrifice" and ʽīd al-fiṭr "Festival of the Breaking of the Fast"

Note: The transliteration Eid probably represents pronunciation of ʽīd in Persian as /eid/.

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing Eid

• Eid Mubarak

Rhymes for Eid

• bide
• bride
• chide
• cried
• died
• dried
• dyed
• eide
• eyed
• flied
• fried
• glide