Thanksgiving Vocabulary in English. Grab Your Turkey!

Thanksgiving English can feel like a buffet: a little confusing, a little overwhelming, and somehow you still end up with mashed potatoes.

Here are the most useful words and phrases for talking about the holiday—especially if you’re invited to a dinner and want to sound natural (without memorizing a history lecture).

Yak Snark:

Yes, people will say they’re “not that hungry” and then build a plate the size of a small continent. Learn the vocab. Accept the inevitable.

Visual cards: the Thanksgiving essentials

Tap “Hear” to practice pronunciation. These are the words you’ll see on tables, menus, and group chats.

turkey food

TUR-key

The main roasted bird many people eat for Thanksgiving.

We’re having turkey with gravy and roasted vegetables.

stuffing food

STUH-fing

A savory bread dish baked inside the turkey or in a separate pan.

Her stuffing has herbs, onions, and a little sausage.

gravy food

GRAY-vee

A warm sauce made from meat juices, often poured over turkey and potatoes.

Can you pass the gravy, please?

cranberry sauce food

KRAN-ber-ee sawss

A sweet-tart sauce made from cranberries, served with turkey.

I like cranberry sauce because it cuts the richness of the meal.

mashed potatoes food

masht puh-TAY-toez

Boiled potatoes crushed until smooth, often with butter and milk.

These mashed potatoes are so creamy.

pumpkin pie dessert

PUMP-kin pie

A classic dessert made with spiced pumpkin filling in a pie crust.

We always end the meal with pumpkin pie and whipped cream.

leftovers after

LEFT-oh-verz

Food that’s still good to eat after the meal.

I’m taking leftovers home for lunch tomorrow.

to give thanks tradition

to giv THANKS

To express gratitude for good things in your life.

Before we eat, we take a moment to give thanks.

Table of words and phrases

Use these to talk about the meal, the mood, and the social ritual of passing food like it’s an Olympic event.

Word / phrase	Meaning	Example
Thanksgiving The holiday itself (in the U.S. and Canada, on different dates).	A holiday focused on gratitude, family/friends, and a big meal.	We’re visiting my aunt for Thanksgiving this year.
feast	A large, special meal.	They cooked a huge feast for everyone.
gathering	A time when people meet together, often for a celebration.	It’s a small family gathering, just eight of us.
host / hostess	The person who invites people and provides the meal/place.	Our host asked everyone to arrive at 4 p.m.
potluck	A meal where everyone brings a dish to share.	We’re doing a Thanksgiving potluck at work.
side dish	Food served with the main dish (not the main protein).	My favorite side dish is roasted sweet potatoes.
sweet potatoes	A sweet, orange (or white) potato, often baked or mashed.	She made sweet potatoes with cinnamon.
green bean casserole	A baked dish with green beans and a creamy sauce (very classic in the U.S.).	He insists Thanksgiving isn’t complete without green bean casserole.
cornbread	A slightly sweet bread made with cornmeal.	We served cornbread with butter and honey.
whipped cream	Cream beaten until light and fluffy; used on desserts.	Do you want whipped cream on your pie?
second helpings	Another serving of food after your first plate.	I went back for second helpings of stuffing.
to carve (the turkey)	To cut meat into slices.	My dad always carves the turkey.
to pass (the dish)	To hand something to someone at the table.	Could you pass the stuffing, please?
gratitude	The feeling of being thankful.	Thanksgiving is a time to show gratitude.
what are you thankful for?	A common question people ask during Thanksgiving.	At dinner, we go around the table and ask, “What are you thankful for?”
to go around the table	To let each person speak one by one, usually in order.	Let’s go around the table and share one good thing from this year.
family traditions	Things a family does every year in the same way.	Watching a movie after dinner is one of our family traditions.
parade	A public celebration with floats, music, and marching bands.	We watched the Thanksgiving parade on TV in the morning.
football (American football)	A popular sport many people watch on Thanksgiving in the U.S.	My cousins always put football on while we cook.
food coma slang	That sleepy, heavy feeling after eating a lot.	After dessert, I fell into a food coma on the couch.
to loosen your belt humor	A joke about feeling full after eating.	I may need to loosen my belt after this meal.

Optional variants: formal vs. casual

Same idea, different vibe. Pick what matches the room.

Situation	More formal	More casual
Thanking the host	Thank you for having me. Everything was delicious.	Thanks for having me—this was amazing.
Asking for more food	May I have a little more, please?	Can I get a bit more?
Refusing politely	No, thank you. I’m quite full.	I’m good, I’m stuffed.
Complimenting the cooking	This is wonderfully seasoned.	This is so good.

Yak Snark:

If someone says, “Take some leftovers!” the correct answer is “Yes, please.” The only wrong answer is pretending you don’t want them.