revelry

noun

rev·​el·​ry ˈre-vəl-rē How to pronounce revelry (audio)
: noisy partying or merrymaking

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 There’s a bevy of music and performing arts troupes lined up in two parade waves to loop through Capitol Mall throughout an afternoon of joyful revelry. Aaron Davis, Sacramento Bee, 3 Mar. 2024 The home, in a gated community, is perched on a windy bluff not far from restaurants, bars, a casino — places of revelry. Justin Wm. Moyer, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024 In their own subsequent residencies at the Copa Room at the Sands, Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack helped establish the swanky after-dark revelry for which Vegas has become notorious. Chris Carra, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024 The shooting erupted as thousands of football fans had crowded into downtown Kansas City after the Chiefs’ Super Bowl win, suddenly turning a day of revelry into one of chaos and panic. Colbi Edmonds, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024 The city's annual series of parades began more than a week ago and will close out on Tuesday — Mardi Gras — a final day of revelry before Lent. Kevin McGill, Quartz, 11 Feb. 2024 Total strangers embraced, all sharing in the revelry. Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press, 22 Jan. 2024 The revelry has been most notable on our college campuses, often catalyzed by chapters of Students ... To Read the Full Story Welcome to Insticator commenting. George Fishman, National Review, 3 Nov. 2023 Clerics hated the revelry linked to tattooing, to be sure, but also wanted compliance with Victorian ways. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 10 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'revelry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see revel entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of revelry was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near revelry

Cite this Entry

“Revelry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/revelry. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

revelry

noun
rev·​el·​ry ˈrev-əl-rē How to pronounce revelry (audio)
plural revelries
: rough and noisy merrymaking

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