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.

Nearby words

Origin of festive

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

Related forms

fes·tive·ly, adverbfes·tive·ness, nounnon·fes·tive, adjectivenon·fes·tive·ly, adverb

non·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. 2019

Examples from the Web for festive

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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
The musicians give a sample of their skill and seat themselves at the festive board.
Norway|Beatrix Jungman
The professional acrobats that are met with on festive occasions are fearless and skilful.
The Kingdom of the Yellow Robe|Ernest Young
I must see that he gets out of his studiousness and is clothed in festive mind for this evening.
Other Things Being Equal|Emma Wolf
There only needed some novelty, now that the old diversions had come to an end, to complete the delights of the festive hours.
Zigzag Journeys in Europe|Hezekiah Butterworth
But the position of the secretary was the absolute antipode of this tranquil and festive sinecure.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine -- Volume 57, No. 351, January 1845|Various

British Dictionary definitions for festive

festive

adjective

appropriate to or characteristic of a holiday, etc; merry

Derived Formsfestively, adverbfestiveness, noun

Word Origin for festive

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

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.