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The Roman god of drama, wine, and ecstasy, Bacchus was the focus of a widespread celebration, the Bacchanalia. The festivities were originally secret, and only initiated members could participate. There was wine in abundance, and participants were expected to cut loose from normal restraints and give in to all sorts of wild desires. Eventually the Bacchanalia became more public and uncontrolled, finally getting so out of hand that in 186 B.C. the Roman authorities had it banned. Much the same bacchanalian spirit fills tropical carnivals every year, including New Orleans' Mardi Gras.
Examples of bacchanalia in a Sentence
Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 28 May 2026
Mini bars burst with silk eye covers, collagen masks, melatonin sprays and ear plugs, suggesting the bacchanalia Estelle encourages.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 May 2026
All my pre-planning collapsed into a still-now-overwhelming-to-contemplate bacchanalia of trying stuff.
—Adam Dalva, Longreads, 29 Apr. 2026
While the young actors light up the screen in their other ventures, here, they are simply dragged and squeezed into Levinson's male gaze bacchanalia.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Bacchanalia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bacchanalia. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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