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
The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 17 June 2026
Yet recent years have seen the revival of BBMT, known for cabaret-style shows whose whimsical bygone aesthetic is drawn from vaudeville and carnival midways.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 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 Score Lawrence street festival is rocking with live music, carnival games and balloon art ahead of tonight’s showdown between Argentina and Algeria.
—The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 17 June 2026
Yet recent years have seen the revival of BBMT, known for cabaret-style shows whose whimsical bygone aesthetic is drawn from vaudeville and carnival midways.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 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
-
The organizers of a family-friendly bluegrass festival have cancelled their fall festival, according to an announcement made on the event’s website.—
Emma Hall,
Sacbee.com,
18 June 2026
-
The Score Lawrence street festival is rocking with live music, carnival games and balloon art ahead of tonight’s showdown between Argentina and Algeria.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
In Trinidad, which has a sizable population of Indian-origin immigrants, there is a local carnivalesque form of the holiday called Hosay.—
Charles Preston,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
22 May 2026
-
The atmosphere, for a while, was carnivalesque.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
With stages stretching from Freedom Corner to the Point and crowds growing every year, Pittsburgh’s Juneteenth celebration has evolved into a centerpiece of the city’s summer calendar and a living testament to Black culture, commerce and community pride downtown.—
Gabby Sartori,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
-
The 23rd annual Sacramento Juneteenth celebration filled William Land Park on Saturday with a parade of 15 contingents and a festival with educational exhibits on Black American history.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
22 June 2026
Adjective
-
Although every room’s layout and decoration is slightly different, the overriding effect is riotous pattern (wallpaper and fabrics match), sumptuous layering (throws and cushions galore), elegant mirrors and original art.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 June 2026
-
Part slasher parody, part meta commentary on the structure of horror movies, and fully riotous, Behind the Mask is a dreadfully under-appreciated contribution to the subgenre that would have made for a terrific franchise.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Multiple vendors were also out for the late-night festivities.—
Ricky Sayer,
CBS News,
21 June 2026
-
The New York Knicks festivities aren’t over just yet.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
20 June 2026
Adjective
-
And that's especially true in a big, raucous, diverse, argumentative democracy like the United States of America.—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
-
Guy, whose fastball has reached 91 mph and sits in the high 80s, was pumped up to pitch as the raucous, standing-room only crowd electrified the ballpark’s atmosphere.—
Richard Dunn,
Oc Register,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
Kirke plays Delphine Barlow, Alice’s (Condon) recently widowed older sister, a confident, boisterous presence with the ability to make every conversation about herself.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
18 June 2026
-
Those will be out in abundance during the June 26 match and the typically boisterous parades just outside the stadium.—
Andrew Destin,
Chicago Tribune,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Kids join academies as raffish improvisors, little bundles of wild ideas and schemes.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
-
Slain Supervisor Harvey Milk is raffish in his bust, tossing his head back with his necktie askance — the image is taken from a famous Dan Niccoleto photograph in front of the Castro Camera store.—
J.K. Dineen,
San Francisco Chronicle,
11 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Carnival.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carnival. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
