festoon

1 of 2

noun

fes·​toon fe-ˈstün 

1

: a decorative chain or strip hanging between two points

walls decorated with festoons of flowers

2

: a carved, molded, or painted ornament representing a decorative chain

Around the mirror were carved festoons of grapevines.

festoon

2 of 2

verb

festooned; festooning; festoons

transitive verb

1

: to hang or form festoons on

2

: to shape into festoons

3

: decorate, adorn

also : cover sense 4b

Did you know?

The noun festoon first appeared in the 1600s when it was used, as it still is today, to refer to decorative chains or strips hung between two points. (It can also refer to a carved, molded, or painted ornament representing such a chain.) After a century's worth of festoon-adorning, the verb festoon made an entrance, and people began to festoon with their festoons—that is, they draped and adorned with them. The verb form of festoon has since acquired additional, more general senses related not only to decorating, but to appearing on the surface of something, as in "a sweater festooned with unicorns." Perhaps unsurprisingly, this celebratory-sounding and party-associated word traces back (by way of French and Italian) to Latin festa, the plural of festum, meaning "festival."

Synonyms

Verb

• adorn
• decorate

Examples of festoon in a Sentence

Verb

We festooned the halls with leaves and white lights.

The balcony is festooned in ivy.

His office is festooned with newspaper clippings.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Twinkly Festoon: As a big fan of Twinkly, I was all set to love these festoon string lights with large color bulbs. —Simon Hill, Wired News, 26 June 2025

The piece features festoon and fleur-de-lis patterns, and it can also be worn as a necklace. —Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 18 Oct. 2023

Verb

The circular balcony, which looks down on the museum’s main lobby, is festooned with ribbons from the ceremony that took place when the Long Wharf moved from its longtime home on the loading dock to offices in the Audubon arts district. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 6 July 2025

Carbon, Carbon Everywhere Inside the RS e-tron GT Performance, the cabin can be festooned with carbon fiber from tip to tip. —Kristin Shaw, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

French feston, from Italian festone, from festa festival, from Latin — more at feast

First Known Use

Noun

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1765, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for festoon

• attune
• baboon
• balloon
• bassoon
• buffoon
• cartoon
• cocoon
• gaboon
• harpoon
• immune
• impugn
• jejune

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Kids Definition

festoon

1 of 2 noun

fes·​toon fes-ˈtün 

: a decorative chain or strip hanging between two points

festoon

2 of 2 verb

: to hang or form festoons on