bacchanalian

British  

/ ˌbækəˈneɪlɪən /

adjective

1. characterized by or involving drunken revelry

2. (often capital) of or relating to the orgiastic rites associated with Bacchus

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Explanation

The ancient Roman god Bacchus was no teetotaler. A bacchanalian party is a wild, wine-soaked, rowdy affair. Bacchanalian is used to describe any event that Bacchus would have enjoyed. The Romans celebrated Bacchus with wine, songs, dances and more wine — not the kind of behavior you would expect from self-respecting adults (and probably not the kind of thing they would tell their kids about). Another word for bacchanalian is Dionysian, in honor of the Greek god of wine and crazy parties. Any kind of wild revelry can be described as bacchanalian.

Example Sentences

The Bacchanalian disorders of the Feast of the Fools and mockery of traditional hierarchies provoked a wave of censure by Church and secular leaders.

From Salon • Dec. 24, 2024

Now 30 years old, Raise was a pinnacle of an indie-dance hybrid, one that soundtracked Bacchanalian scenes with its mischievous defiance, rave optimism and punk sass.

From The Guardian • Jul. 7, 2020

In the original 1976 movie version of Westworld, the Bacchanalian theme park’s “hosts” were little more than wind-up toys, mindless robots with a face full of circuit boards hiding just beneath their synthetic skin.

From Slate • Jun. 22, 2018

In Constantinople, the spiritual headquarters of Eastern Christendom, the seventh-century church was still frantically trying to ban the Bacchanalian festivities that legitimized cross-dressing, mask-wearing and Bacchic adulation.

From New York Times • Jun. 8, 2018

This supper took place in the great hall of the castle—the hall that in ancient days had witnessed many a warlike meeting and Bacchanalian feast.

From Our Home in the Silver West A Story of Struggle and Adventure by Stables, Gordon