festive
[ fes-tiv ]
/ ˈfɛs tɪv /
adjective
pertaining to or suitable for a feast or festival: festive decorations; a festive meal.
joyous; merry: a festive mood.
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RELATED WORDS
joyous, peppy, hearty, jovial, chipper, gala, merry, upbeat, cheery, happy, lighthearted, joyful, convivial, jubilant, blithe, carnival, gay, gleeful, holiday, jocund
Nearby words
- festinate,
- festinately,
- festination,
- festival,
- festival hall,
- festive season,
- festively,
- festivity,
- festoon,
- festoon blind
Origin of festive
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for festive
festive
/ (ˈfɛstɪv) /
adjective
appropriate to or characteristic of a holiday, etc; merry
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
festive
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.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper