adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of festive
First recorded in 1645–55; from Latin festīvus “merry, lively, joyous,” equivalent to festus “festal” + -īvus -ive
Explanation
Festive describes an event that’s full of joy, smiles, and excitement. A birthday party without presents, decorations, or friends would be the opposite of festive. People having a great time — that’s a sure sign that the occasion is festive. An awesome party, New Year’s Eve, the last day of school, Fridays: happy times where the air feels electric, that’s festive. It can also describe your mood, like when you feel full of energy and ready to dance. Sharing the same Latin root (festivus) as the words festival and feast, festive events often involve good food and great people. And a piñata always helps.
Vocabulary lists containing festive
Joy To The Word: Christmas Terms
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Emotions on Display
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The Help
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Greggs said its Festive Bakes, mince pies and salted caramel lattes, along with breakfast and lunch offers, appealed to cash-strapped Christmas shoppers, helping like-for-like sales rise 18.2% in the final quarter.
From Reuters • Jan. 5, 2023
Free and low-cost options include taking the “Whistler Festive Lights” tour found through the Go Whistler Tours app.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 22, 2022
Festive cheer could be in short supply unless someone blinks.
From BBC • Oct. 24, 2022
The station aired Monday’s hearing on its World sub-channel, after a broadcast of “Rick Steves’ Festive Europe.”
From Washington Post • Jun. 15, 2022
"The Festive Board" may be a shingle, a hair-brush a fish-hash breakfast or a stewed prune supper.
From The Foolish Dictionary An exhausting work of reference to un-certain English words, their origin, meaning, legitimate and illegitimate use, confused by a few pictures [not included] by Wurdz, Gideon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
