carnival 1 of 2

noun

ˈkär-nə-vəl How to pronounce carnival (audio)
Definition of carnivalnext
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

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carnival

2 of 2

adjective

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
Noun
But that hardly begins to describe a pitcher’s duel that turned into a carnival on Friday night at Tropicana Field. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026 Except this time, he’s fallen in love with his boss’s girl Jackie at his new carnival gig. — Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026
Adjective
The Children’s Zoo encouraged youngsters to feed and pet the animals, but eliminated carnival-style gimmicks that were common in zoos at the time. — San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 July 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
  1. festival
  2. carnivalesque
  3. celebration
  4. riotous
  5. festivity
  6. raucous
  7. boisterous
  8. raffish
Noun
  • Standing with a bike near the festival was Frantz Jerome, 65.
    — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Based on the 2021 short of the same name, whose festival run included New Directors/New Films, it’s produced by microFILM, 2Pilots Filmproduction, Frakas Prods.
    — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of festival
Adjective
  • Overall, there is a driving energy to the album as well as a haunted carnivalesque atmosphere.
    — Vogue, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Fundamentally, the protest in Delhi amounted to a carnivalesque bonfire of Brand Modi.
    — Asim Ali, Time, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of carnivalesque
Noun
  • Both posed with the actor's granddaughter, Melissa Talmadge Cox, who first met Fadem at another Keaton celebration ten years ago in Muskegon, Mich.
    — Brian Bull, NPR, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The eveningwear collection is designed for red carpets, galas, black-tie celebrations and other memorable occasions.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of celebration
Adjective
  • Adéla draws from the Britney Spears playbook on the track and ends up with a riotous song destined for Top 40 dominance.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2026
  • At the other end, Robert Sanchez elicits blue murder and the combination is riotous and compelling.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of riotous
Noun
  • In lieu of festivities, tens of thousands of people took to the streets Wednesday across Spain to protest the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ceuta, demanding solutions and blaming Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for his government's handling of it.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Wedding festivities took place over four days and began in a city hundreds of miles away, to which my wife and I traveled.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of festivity
Adjective
  • As was the raucous song of the small-block two feet from my spine, but that part is probably the least surprising of all.
    — Jerry Perez, The Drive, 3 Sep. 2026
  • With the help of a few martinis and flutes of champagne, the raucous lineup of friends, muses, and confidantes sat still long enough to take the portrait accompanying this story.
    — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of raucous
Adjective
  • The tables are packed tightly together, ensuring a boisterous, convivial atmosphere.
    — Laura Itzkowitz, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • For months, boisterous fellows at Angels Stadium peeled off their shirts and begged Moreno to sell.
    — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of boisterous
Adjective
  • So did the holdout Grealish tragics; those of us who still cling to the memories of his raffish breakout years.
    — David Ornstein, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • And then there's a top-of-his-game Chevy Chase as a devil-may-care golfer and Bill Murray as a raffish groundskeeper.
    — Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 18 June 2026
Definition of raffish

Browse Nearby Words

carnality
carnival
carnivalesque
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Cite this Entry

“Carnival.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carnival. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on carnival

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about carnival

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