as in merry
indicative of or marked by high spirits or good humor
we arrived at the Christmas party to find everyone already in a festive mood, perhaps owing in part to the punch
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Recent Examples of festive
Related Stories Before the game, the mood is as festive as New Year’s Eve in Times Square.
—
Shaheem Reid, Variety, 16 June 2026
Dressed in team colors, chanting supporters transformed the stadium gates and parking lots into a festive celebration hours before kickoff at the tournament’s Miami venue.
—Carline Jean, Sun Sentinel, 15 June 2026
In the end, the victory came on the road, though enough Knicks fans had managed to secure seats on the Spurs’ home court to make the victory feel plenty festive.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 14 June 2026
Many locals are embracing the festive atmosphere, while others are already looking for ways to entice Scottish visitors back to Boston even after the World Cup ends.
—Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for festive
Shaheem Reid, Variety, 16 June 2026
Dressed in team colors, chanting supporters transformed the stadium gates and parking lots into a festive celebration hours before kickoff at the tournament’s Miami venue.
—Carline Jean, Sun Sentinel, 15 June 2026
In the end, the victory came on the road, though enough Knicks fans had managed to secure seats on the Spurs’ home court to make the victory feel plenty festive.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 14 June 2026
Many locals are embracing the festive atmosphere, while others are already looking for ways to entice Scottish visitors back to Boston even after the World Cup ends.
—Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for festive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for festive
Adjective
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Our leads will be abandoning the mean streets of New York City for merry old London.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 June 2026
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Starr and his band of merry men would deliver a 100-minute-plus show that was filled with 22 great tunes that most everyone in the house knew by heart.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
12 June 2026
Adjective
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The Tar Heels went three-up, three-down in the sixth, but the next inning Gallaher and his teammates were having a jolly time on a clear and cool evening at Charles Schwab Field.—
Eric Olson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 June 2026
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The Tar Heels went three-up, three-down in the sixth, but the next inning Gallaher and his teammates were having a jolly time on a clear and cool evening at Charles Schwab Field.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
Adjective
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This tiger red balayage on a brunette base is as cheerful as a sunny day.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
13 June 2026
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Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images Shortly before the opening of Nasdaq trading on Friday, Elon Musk stepped in front of a cheerful crowd at SpaceX’s company town in Texas.—
Jordan Novet,Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Festive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/festive. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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