revelry

noun

rev·​el·​ry ˈre-vəl-rē 

: noisy partying or merrymaking

Synonyms of revelry

• festivity
• celebration
• merrymaking
• merriment

Examples of revelry in a Sentence

Each city has its own Carnival, but none, not even the revelry of Mardi Gras, is as spectacular as Brooklyn's. —Peter Noel, Village Voice, 6 Sept. 1994

Wassailing is an ancient English custom, part of the feasts and revelry of New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, which have been revived in Colonial Williamsburg. —Joan P. Dutton, The Williamsburg Cookbook, 1975

The tall minister stood again at the altar. He waited for the song and the revelry to die. —Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, 1969

The small birds were taking their farewell banquets. In the fullness of their revelry, they fluttered, chirping and frolicking from bush to bush, and tree to tree … —Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, 1820

the lottery winner was exhausted after a long night of revelry

Recent Examples on the Web

Egypt won in penalties as well to join Mexico and Norway in newfound revelry. — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 4 July 2026

And in a novel twist, there will be a ball drop in New York City’s Times Square at midnight to usher in the July Fourth holiday with much the same revelry that is typically reserved for New Year’s Eve. — Steven Sloan, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026

Experts say the combination of soccer revelry, high temperatures and Atlanta’s trademark humidity poses health risks that attendees and event organizers need to pay attention to. — Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 29 June 2026

There hasn't been nearly as much revelry inside the stadium as a result. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 26 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

see revel entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

revelry

noun

rev·​el·​ry ˈrev-əl-rē 

plural revelries

: rough and noisy merrymaking