as in festival
a time or program of special events and entertainment in honor of something
the town's annual Fourth of July carnival
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in carnivalesque
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of carnival
Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
Ocean Heights also features an 82-foot Aura Ropes Course, a 25-foot rock climbing wall, a nine-hole mini golf course and Aura Midway, an amusement park-style outdoor area with carnival games.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Jan. 2026
Chloe McGowan, The Indianapolis Star, 27 June 2022
The Queen is also expected to attend the Derby, one of her favorite horse race events, a concert at Buckingham Palace and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, a carnival-style celebration during which many artists, including Ed Sheeran, will perform.
—Monique Jessen, PEOPLE.com, 12 May 2022
See All Example Sentences for carnival
Noun
The 2026 edition of the event, produced by Medium Rare in partnership with Authentic Live, will feature a full carnival setup with interactive games, circus entertainment and premium hospitality.
—Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
Ocean Heights also features an 82-foot Aura Ropes Course, a 25-foot rock climbing wall, a nine-hole mini golf course and Aura Midway, an amusement park-style outdoor area with carnival games.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Whitestown's family-friendly Independence Day Celebration will kick off at 6 p.m. with live music, carnival-style food, a ticketed kid's zone and a fireworks show once the sun goes down.
—Chloe McGowan, The Indianapolis Star, 27 June 2022
The Queen is also expected to attend the Derby, one of her favorite horse race events, a concert at Buckingham Palace and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, a carnival-style celebration during which many artists, including Ed Sheeran, will perform.
—Monique Jessen, PEOPLE.com, 12 May 2022
See All Example Sentences for carnival
Recent Examples of Synonyms for carnival
Noun
-
Visit the chestnut, prosciutto and truffle festivals.—
Laura Begley Bloom,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
In recent years, the festival has expanded its offerings to attendees, including beers from outside the country, non-alcoholic beers, ciders and even some hard liquors.—
Jesse Sarles,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But by the mid-1930s, Soviet leaders sensed that people needed something to take the edge off in the dead of winter, a carnivalesque custom of the sort that Christmas once provided.—
Andrew Fedorov,
The Atlantic,
31 Dec. 2025
-
The film’s centerpiece is a chaotic, carnivalesque parade of surrealistic characters marching through Tokyo.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The weekend celebration started on Friday with a roller skating party on the smooth arena floor followed by a full schedule on Saturday of performances by local artists, tours and refreshments.—
Doug Duran,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The Rangers celebrated their 1994 championship team before the game as part of the franchise's centennial celebration.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Guns is an actor and writer, known for her razor-sharp observations and riotous voice.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
-
In March, the city erupts for Las Fallas, Valencia’s biggest festival, a riotous display of bonfires, fireworks, and parades honoring Saint Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters.—
Siobhan Reid,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Even after a season of festivities, morale can be low and burnout can be high.—
Karen Hinds,
Hartford Courant,
13 Jan. 2026
-
The anniversary festivities appeared to also take place at The Polo Lounge in Beverly Hills as Windey shared a snap of the hotel's logo as latte art.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Anderson faced criticism online after his raucous menswear collection, shown during the men’s shows in Paris earlier this month, divided audiences.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
-
What Don’t Be Dumb does effectively, however, is reestablish Rocky’s auteur-ish tendencies for 2020s hip-hop, drawing throughline between his mixtape days and the raucous, rage-minded sounds that course through much of contemporary rap.—
Carl Lamarre,
Billboard,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Well up for the fight in front of their boisterous fans at the Estadio da Luz, however, Benfica went ahead 3-1 before half time and secured a heroic 4-2 win, plus qualification to the knockout phase playoff on goal difference, thanks to goalkeeper Anatoli Trubin’s 98th minute header.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce could get an up-close look at the boisterous behavior next week.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Three or four decades ago, the newspaperman was appealingly raffish—at once a bum who drank too much and a knight-errant who charged unafraid at social injustice, succored the weak, and crossed lances with the powerful and arrogant.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
-
A little lowly courier work, yes, but nothing more raffish than that.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Carnival.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carnival. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
