ceilidh

variants also ceili
Scottish & Irish

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 ceilidh Apparently the best and prettiest dancer gets chosen, but the only thing Ellen really cares about is that Brian also makes his way into the ceilidh and winds up her temporary partner during the group dance. Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 29 Aug. 2025 Dancing The Irish Network hosts its annual ceili (dance) from 4 to 7pm Sunday at the Hyatt Centric French Quarter. Carlie Kollath Wells, Axios, 14 Mar. 2025 The night concluded with a ceilidh hosted by Amber’s music school friends, the Haggis Chasers. Rebecca Cope, Vogue, 10 Oct. 2024 The Scotland episode sandwiches the synagogue moment with Levy standing in an ornate castle doing Sean Connery impressions, visiting a tailor to custom-make a kilt, and at a ceilidh, dancing in a kilt and making jokes about the ventilation. Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Aug. 2024 Make sure to grab a wee dram at The Malt Room, Inverness’ first whisky bar, followed by Hootananny, a ceilidh cafe for live traditional Scottish folk music (even Mumford and Sons have played here). Marisel Salazar, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Dec. 2022 She’s a member of the Irish American Club and a traditional Irish ceilidh dancer. Elissa Welle, Detroit Free Press, 9 Feb. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ceilidh
Noun
  • The two met in 1975 at a jam session in Miami and Gloria was immediately taken.
    Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Passengers on a flight from St. Louis to Seattle got an unexpected pick-me-up when jazz saxophonist Dave Koz and bandmates held an impromptu jam session in the aisle while the plane was stuck on the tarmac hundreds of miles from their final destination.
    Becky Bohrer, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • As the evening goes on, DJs take over the rooftop, giving the night a festival-like energy against the Fort Worth skyline.
    Tiffani Jackson Skinner, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
  • The Canadian festival launchpad also reflects the Canuck roots of a comedy legend known for being a gentle and humble everyman to Hollywood audiences before his unexpected death in 1994.
    Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Trailing by three runs, Cora gave the ball to left-hander Justin Wilson, who struck out three straight Diamondbacks to escape the jam and keep his team in the game.
    Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Our Cal-Italia pizza is a white pizza with fig jam, aged balsamic and Prosciutto di Parma.
    Liza B. Zimmerman, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The church annually has a songfest following Dec. 25, which actually begins the Christmas season, but this one will honor the Rev. Wally Hyclak, who is retiring Jan. 1.
    cleveland, cleveland, 13 Dec. 2019
  • The songfest began with the women introducing themselves by singing out their names.
    Dennis Hohenberger, Courant Community, 29 May 2018
Noun
  • In between that opening scene in 1996 and the closing episode set in 2022, the show moves back and forth along the timeline, tackling life events both big and small in this trio’s lives, from bar mitzvahs and failed interventions to child dance recitals and the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 22 Aug. 2025
  • At dance recitals and school events, my parents were always there.
    Avalon Hester, People.com, 19 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ceilidh.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ceilidh. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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