circus

1 a large usually roofless building for sporting events with tiers of seats for spectators the Roman circus is believed to have held 50,000 spectators in ancient times Synonyms bowl, stadium, coliseum, colosseumRelated Words ballpark, park; gym, gymnasium, spa; arena, dome, hippodrome

2 a place of uproar or confusion with seven kids in the house, it's a circus most of the time Synonyms babel, bedlam, madhouse, scrum [British], three-ring circusRelated Words bustle, commotion, pandemonium, racket, ruckus, tumult, turmoil; brouhaha, clamor, clatter, din, hubbub, noise; chaos, confusion, disarrangement, disarray, disorder, havoc, hell, mess, muss, shamblesNear Antonyms arcadia, heaven, paradise, utopia; order, orderliness, organization; calm, lull, peace, respite; hush, quiet, silence, stillness

3 an elaborate, visually exciting show or event the media circus that took place outside the courthouse every day of the murder trial Synonyms extravaganza, pageant, raree-show, spectacle, spectacularRelated Words display, exhibit, exhibition, exposition