diet

diet — noun

1. the range of what a person, animal, or group usually eats and drinks day after d

1.nounA2
Definition

the range of what a person, animal, or group usually eats and drinks day after day

Example

The doctor asked Hoa about her daily diet and exercise routine.

daily diet + exercise routine — typical pattern

Yan's grandmother sticks to a traditional diet of rice, pickled vegetables, and grilled fish.

sticks to a traditional diet of + specific foods

Common collocations
  • balanced diet
  • healthy diet
  • diet rich in
  • diet of
  • poor diet
  • daily diet
  • dietary habits
Synonyms
  • eating habits

    less formal; describes patterns rather than a fixed selection of foods

  • fare

    more formal and literary; often refers to the food available in a particular place

  • nourishment

    focuses on the nutritional value rather than the range of foods

Grammar Patterns

diet + of + noun phrase

adjective + diet

Usage Note

Countable when referring to a specific type (a vegetarian diet, a Mediterranean diet); uncountable when speaking about the general concept (diet is important for health).

Common Mistakes

My diet is delicious today.
The food I ate today is delicious.
diet describes your usual eating pattern, not the taste of a single meal.

2. a planned way of eating that restricts what or how much a person eats, usually t

2.nounA2
Definition

a planned way of eating that restricts what or how much a person eats, usually to lose weight or to manage a health problem

Example

Vikram started a low-carb diet after his doctor warned him about his blood sugar levels.

low-carb diet + health reason

Lakan started a juice-only diet but quit on day five when his coworkers ordered pizza.

started a [type] diet + quit + specific trigger event

Common collocations
  • go on a diet
  • be on a diet
  • strict diet
  • crash diet
  • low-fat diet
  • low-carb diet
  • liquid diet
  • diet plan
Synonyms
  • weight-loss plan

    more neutral and structured; does not carry the same cultural baggage as 'diet'

  • eating regimen

    more formal; often used in medical or fitness contexts

Antonyms
  • binge

    uncontrolled overeating, the opposite of restricted eating

Grammar Patterns

go on + a diet

be on + a diet

adjective + diet

Usage Note

The fixed expression 'on a diet' almost always means the person is currently following a weight-loss plan, not describing their usual food. The verbs 'go on,' 'be on,' 'start,' and 'follow' are frequently used with this sense.

Common Mistakes

I am on a diet of rice and vegetables.' (when describing usual food, not weight loss)
I eat a lot of rice and vegetables.
'on a diet' specifically implies a restrictive plan for weight or health reasons.

3. a steady or repeated experience of something, especially something negative or m

3.nounB2
Definition

a steady or repeated experience of something, especially something negative or monotonous, that a person is exposed to over time

Example

For months, the refugees lived on a diet of bad news and uncertainty.

a diet of + unpleasant experience

As a film critic, Ari is fed a steady diet of Hollywood action movies.

steady diet of + repeated exposure

Common collocations
  • a diet of
  • steady diet of
  • fed a diet of
  • lived on a diet of
Synonyms
  • daily dose

    informal; carries the same idea of repeated exposure, often negative

  • steady stream

    neutral; describes continuous flow without the negative connotation

Grammar Patterns

a diet + of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Almost always follows the pattern 'a diet of + noun phrase.' The noun phrase usually describes something repetitive, limited, or unpleasant (bad news, violence, criticism), but can also be neutral (action movies, books).

Common Mistakes

I had a wonderful diet of experiences in Paris.
I had a wonderful range of experiences in Paris.
this sense carries a negative or limiting tone; it does not work for positive variety.

diet — adjective

diet — verb

Word family

  • dieting
    nounB1
  • dieter
    nounB2
  • dietary
    adjectiveB1
  • dietetic
    adjectiveC1
  • dietetics
    nounC1
  • dietitian
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Diet, nutrition, cuisine, and regimen all relate to food but differ in focus. Diet refers to the actual foods a person or group regularly consumes — concrete and descriptive ('a Japanese diet of rice, fish, and vegetables'). Nutrition is about the scientific process of using food for health and growth; it focuses on nutrients, vitamins, and bodily needs rather than specific dishes. Cuisine is tied to culture and cooking style — it describes the characteristic dishes, preparation methods, and flavours of a region or tradition ('Italian cuisine', 'street-food cuisine'). Regimen is the broadest term: it can mean any structured plan (including diet, exercise, or medication), but when applied to food, it overlaps with 'diet' in sense 2 — a regimented eating plan. For example, 'My doctor put me on a strict regimen' sounds clinical and structured, whereas 'My doctor put me on a strict diet' is the everyday equivalent. Choosing the right word depends on whether you mean the food itself (diet), the science behind it (nutrition), the cultural tradition (cuisine), or the structured plan (regimen).

diet ↗nutrition ↗cuisine ↗regimen

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • go on a diet
  • be on a diet
  • balanced diet

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'diet' comes from Latin 'diaeta' meaning 'way of living' or 'daily regimen,' which was borrowed from Greek 'diaita' (way of life, dwelling). In Late Latin it took on the narrower sense of 'food prescribed by a physician.' It entered English through Old French 'diete' in the 13th century, initially meaning a regulated way of eating for health reasons. The modern weight-loss meaning emerged in the mid-19th century, and the adjective sense (low-calorie) became widespread in the mid-20th century alongside the rise of processed foods and diet products.