festive

[fes-tiv]

See more synonyms for festive on Thesaurus.com

adjective

pertaining to or suitable for a feast or festival: festive decorations; a festive meal.
joyous; merry: a festive mood.

Origin of festive

1645–55; < Latin fēstīvus merry, equivalent to fēst(us) festal + -īvus -ive

Related formsfes·tive·ly, adverbfes·tive·ness, nounnon·fes·tive, adjectivenon·fes·tive·ly, adverbnon·fes·tive·ness, nounsub·fes·tive, adjectivesub·fes·tive·ly, adverbsub·fes·tive·ness, nounun·fes·tive, adjectiveun·fes·tive·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for festive

Contemporary Examples

Many love Christmas and all the festive decorations that come with it.
Star Wars Christmas Lights, Unedited Footage of a Bear, and More Viral Videos
The Daily Beast Video
December 21, 2014
Creepy thing to wrap up in festive paper and a bow and give to a newborn baby, yeah?
Keep Christmas Commercialized!
P. J. O’Rourke
December 6, 2014
And the entire Bon Temps gang has gathered for a festive Thanksgiving dinner.
'True Blood' Ends With a Whimper: The Sexy HBO Vampire Series Is (Finally) Over
Marlow Stern
August 25, 2014
When the host is in a festive mood, entering customers are given strings of Mardi Gras beads.
The Ultimate Southern Cheeseburger Created in South Carolina
Jane & Michael Stern
August 10, 2014
It had a festive air last Sunday as residents flooded into the spotlessly clean park to soak up the first rays of spring.
Is Kharkiv Ukraine’s Next Tipping Point?
Vijai Maheshwari
March 13, 2014

Historical Examples

New bonnets had been specially prepared for this festive occasion.
Henry Dunbar
M. E. Braddon
Tama keeps the guard and seals to wear on festive occasions.
Brighter Britain! (Volume 1 of 2)
William Delisle Hay
Here am I in festive array, and no man can be more ready for the promised banquet.
Timaeus
Plato
These the captain decided should be placed in the center of the festive board.
Cap'n Warren's Wards
Joseph C. Lincoln
Only, a fellow never can tell where he stands with most of these festive dames.
Nobody
Louis Joseph Vance

British Dictionary definitions for festive

festive

adjective

appropriate to or characteristic of a holiday, etc; merry

Derived Formsfestively, adverbfestiveness, noun

Word Origin

C17: from Latin festīvus joyful, from festus of a feast

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for festive

adj.

1650s, "pertaining to a feast," from Latin festivus "festive, joyous, gay," from festum "festival, holiday," noun use of neuter of adjective festus (see feast (n.)).

Meaning "mirthful" is attested by 1774. Unattested from 1651 to 1735; modern use may be a back-formation from festivity. Related: Festively; festiveness.

festive

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}festive

Examples from the Web for festive

Contemporary Examples

Many love Christmas and all the festive decorations that come with it.

Creepy thing to wrap up in festive paper and a bow and give to a newborn baby, yeah?

And the entire Bon Temps gang has gathered for a festive Thanksgiving dinner.

When the host is in a festive mood, entering customers are given strings of Mardi Gras beads.

It had a festive air last Sunday as residents flooded into the spotlessly clean park to soak up the first rays of spring.

Historical Examples

New bonnets had been specially prepared for this festive occasion.

Tama keeps the guard and seals to wear on festive occasions.

Here am I in festive array, and no man can be more ready for the promised banquet.

These the captain decided should be placed in the center of the festive board.

Only, a fellow never can tell where he stands with most of these festive dames.

festive

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for festive

adj.

Origin of festive