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

Relevance

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
So too, the possibility of Rollerball-style carnage carnivals where robots compete in vicious cage matches until only one android is still moving. — Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 19 Oct. 2026 Some prefer to splurge on concessions, while others save up for midway rides and carnival games. — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Oct. 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
  • The festival also spotlights the environmental benefits of traditional grazing, in which livestock are used to clear brush and other flammable undergrowth, reducing the spread of wildfires.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
  • For Srouji, the ultimate measure of a healthy industry is not simply whether a filmmaker gets a movie made or lands a prestigious festival selection, but whether that success makes the next film possible.
    — Essie Assibu, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of festival
Adjective
  • Luhansk, this terra incognita of the independent Ukraine, is described in almost carnivalesque terms, but this is a carnival infused with absurdity and even cruelty.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Overall, there is a driving energy to the album as well as a haunted carnivalesque atmosphere.
    — Vogue, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of carnivalesque
Noun
  • While Dia de los Muertos is widely known as a Mexican holiday, celebrations take place around the world.
    — Zayda Rivera, Parents, 29 Oct. 2026
  • On Saturday, the Hollywood Forever Cemetery held its 27th annual Día de los Muertos event — where tens of thousands gathered at the Los Angeles landmark for the largest celebration of the holiday anywhere outside of Mexico.
    — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of celebration
Adjective
  • After a brief intermission, Toliver and Todd emerged onstage to riotous applause, hiking up the decibel levels in the room.
    — Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The riotous 640-page doorstopper grapples with homophobia then and now, the lingering specter of colonialism, the tumult of the AIDS crisis, and frameworks of power that demand dominance or submission.
    — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of riotous
Noun
  • In Shibuya, Halloween festivities were already a nuisance — but now, officials realized there was more to worry about than empty bottles and loud music.
    — Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Staff who attended the ribbon cutting beamed at the new center and festivities.
    — Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of festivity
Adjective
  • Rooms Housed in an old bank building, the Countrypolitan’s 134 rooms are the antidote to the hotel’s dark and raucous lobby.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The host Seahawks, defending Super Bowl champions, held the Chiefs without a touchdown in a 20-3 drubbing at raucous Lumen Field.
    — Jeff Rosen, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of raucous
Adjective
  • During the first Senate debate of the cycle in September at the Kansas State Fairgrounds, Marshall was repeatedly heckled and interrupted by boisterous audience members.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Duncombe’s friends remember her sunny spirit, boisterous and infectious laugh, unbridled optimism and passion for new experiences.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 12 Oct. 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Carnival.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carnival. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on carnival

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about carnival

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Pyrrhic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All