CARNIVALESQUE Synonyms: 103 Similar and Opposite Words

carnivalesque

adjective

Definition of carnivalesque

as in carnival

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of carnivalesque Participants take over city streets for a carnivalesque monthly ride, contesting cars’ dominance. — Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 5 Mar. 2026 But in its political culture the corruption was inescapable, and, like the city itself, carnivalesque. — James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026 Kaddu embodies the carnivalesque spirit of the NFL in London, which has been hosting regular-season games since 2007. — Erin Florio, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Feb. 2026 But by the mid-1930s, Soviet leaders sensed that people needed something to take the edge off in the dead of winter, a carnivalesque custom of the sort that Christmas once provided. — Andrew Fedorov, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for carnivalesque

Recent Examples of Synonyms for carnivalesque

Adjective

One of the biggest pre-carnival fetes on the island, Caribbean Melting Pot at the Carnival Village, features superstar soca acts like Machel Montano and Skinny Fabulous yet still charges under USD $40 a ticket.

— Baz Dreisinger, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Customers at Starbucks will be introduced to a new interface with a carnival-style wheel.

— Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2023

Definition of carnival

Adjective

At the other end, Robert Sanchez elicits blue murder and the combination is riotous and compelling.

— George Caulkin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Others are stewed with aromatics and oil to make a riotous take on XO sauce, funky and inky and complex, which gilds the hunks of squash under their corny beurre blanc.

— Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of riotous

Adjective

The boisterous, perhaps even hard-to-corral high school teenage boys would go silent.

— Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026
Despite his undoubted technical ability, the boisterous midfielder is known for his aggressive play in the centre of the park which often draws the ire of fans of rival clubs.

— Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of boisterous

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carnival

carnivalesque

carnivals

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“Carnivalesque.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carnivalesque. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of carnivalesque

adjective

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