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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
The three-day festival spans huge live music performances, a parade, a community health and wellness fair, a mariachi mass, lucha libre matches, plus family activities like carnival rides and face-painting. — Ashlyn Ware, Midwest Living, 15 Sep. 2026 In more recent years, the former vigil site has been occupied around June 4 by a carnival organized by pro-Beijing groups. — Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 11 Sep. 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
  • For the first year, the winner of the Platform Award that TIFF gives is instantly eligible for the Oscar International Film Award, no need for the film to be submitted by its home country—one of only six film festivals that offer this opportunity.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Outside, the sun was shining brightly, a crowd had gathered, and even Carmen Machi (who received the National Film Award at this festival) was peering out from the hotel’s rooftop.
    — Amaia Odriozola, Vanity Fair, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of festival
Adjective
  • There was something carnivalesque about Marcia’s intellectual riffs.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 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
  • In Barranquilla, an exclusive celebration at the embarkation point channels the city’s carnival, a convergence of African, Indigenous, and Spanish traditions brought to life through cumbia, mapalé, and color on every departure, year-round.
    — Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Last April, Phuwin appeared in a Loewe campaign based on Songkran, the Thai New Year’s celebration that has been likened to a nationwide water fight, though its rituals are meant to symbolize cleansing, reverence and good fortune.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of celebration
Adjective
  • The riotous 640-page door stopper 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.
    — Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of riotous
Noun
  • The festivities stretch along Mulberry Street between Canal and Houston Streets with hundreds of vendors.
    — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The South Florida festivities mark the end of carnival season, which celebrates Caribbean culture.
    — Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of festivity
Adjective
  • The two set out with Ross, a raucous party boy, and the three drive to a secluded, bucolic manor.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Bloom played the dashing blacksmith Will Turner, who teams up with the eccentric pirate Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp) to save his forever love, Elizabeth Swann (Knightley) from a gang of raucous, rival pirates.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Sep. 2026
Definition of raucous
Adjective
  • Indeed, the polar opposite of both Number One’s icy demeanor and Chapel’s long-suffering yearning, Majel is remembered by friends and colleagues as a boisterous, brassy, take-no-prisoners presence.
    — Scott Huver, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
  • But the costly interceptions by last season’s MVP runner-up turned the tide and made sure that the banner-raising night would end in happy fashion for the boisterous home crowd.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 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 23 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on carnival

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about carnival

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