fiesta
Americannoun
-
fiestas
plural
-
any festival or festive celebration.
-
(in Spain and Latin America) a festive celebration of a religious holiday.
noun
-
a religious festival or celebration, esp on a saint's day
-
a holiday or carnival
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of fiesta
1835–45, < Spanish < Latin fēsta; see feast
Explanation
A fiesta is a celebration or a party. Your parents might plan a fiesta to celebrate your high school graduation. You can use the word fiesta for any party, but it usually refers to a large feast, festival, or very extravagant party. In Spanish, fiesta means "feast," and in many Spanish-speaking places, a fiesta celebrates a saint's day or other religious occasion. The word comes from the Latin festus, "festive, joyful, or merry."
Vocabulary lists containing fiesta
Cinco de Mayo: Words to Celebrate Mexico
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Mexico - Introductory
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Mexico - Middle School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
He said he called Leicester manager and fellow countryman Claudio Ranieri, and offered to sing in the "big fiesta".
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Ten men suffered injuries Tuesday during the eighth and final bull run of Spain's famed San Fermin festival, bringing to 57 the total number of daredevils injured during this year's fiesta.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
It alludes to Filipino woven bilao — the big, circular ones with all sorts of fiesta food.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2026
That allows you to ease into the challenge at one of the least exciting pavilions and cap things off with a high-energy fiesta.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 30, 2025
And they’ve brought me along to watch the boys at the fiesta tonight.
From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau
Shops remained closed, bread was in short supply and Ceuta's annual fiestas have been cancelled as Spain's North African enclave struggled to cope after thousands of migrants poured in from neighbouring Morocco.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
Valencia regional government Deputy President Aitana Mas has left the door open to debate whether to prohibit these kinds of fiestas, saying that the current legislation is “not enough.”
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 2, 2022
Villages and towns across Spain hold the fiestas but they were prohibited last year as the country brought in tough health restrictions.
From Reuters ● Sep. 5, 2021
Fund-raisers have become folklórico fixtures, with troupes performing at church fiestas, weddings and even casinos to raise money for stock costumes, and parents selling tamales and T-shirts outside packed auditoriums.
From New York Times ● Mar. 15, 2018
Being a people of close family ties and weekly fiestas they suddenly understood the situation.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
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.
