festivity
noun
fes·tiv·i·ty fe-ˈsti-və-tē 
fə-
plural festivities
1
: festival sense 1
2
: the quality or state of being festive : gaiety
3
: festive activity
Synonyms
- cheer
- cheerfulness
- cheeriness
- gaiety
- gayety
- gayness
- glee
- gleefulness
- hilarity
- jocundity
- joviality
- merriment
- merriness
- mirth
- mirthfulness
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
The decorations give the hall an air of festivity. The festivities will include a parade, a concert, and games for children. We enjoyed the New Year's Eve festivities.
Recent Examples on the Web The main festivity is the performance of a Te Dum, a Latin Christian hymn, at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels, an event typically attended by the royal family. 
Emily Burack, Town & Country, 21 July 2022 Online film festivals don’t translate to much festivity. Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2022 Yet Hawke, who is himself among the most creative and curious actors of the time, turns his film (dropping Thursday) into a festivity, and one that makes the best of the troubled circumstances of its production—namely, the COVID pandemic. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 21 July 2022 Eve festivity was canceled ahead of the city’s widespread cancellation of Mardi Gras activities during the 2021 season. al, 17 Nov. 2021 Mother’s Day Luau, a four-hour extravaganza featuring entertainment and delicious food amid the festivity of a traditional Hawaiian soiree. Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2022 Whether for a dinner party, wedding festivity, or outdoor soirée, people are experimenting with embellishments during the day and daring cutouts or feathers. Irina Grechko, refinery29.com, 7 June 2022 The young prince enjoyed himself while watching the festivity alongside several members of the royal family at Buckingham Palace, before later joining Queen Elizabeth's surprise balcony appearance. Quinci Legardye, Harper's BAZAAR, 5 June 2022 Below, Gormley and guests share tips on how to host your own seasonal festivity. New York Times, 11 May 2022 See More
Emily Burack, Town & Country, 21 July 2022 Online film festivals don’t translate to much festivity. Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2022 Yet Hawke, who is himself among the most creative and curious actors of the time, turns his film (dropping Thursday) into a festivity, and one that makes the best of the troubled circumstances of its production—namely, the COVID pandemic. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 21 July 2022 Eve festivity was canceled ahead of the city’s widespread cancellation of Mardi Gras activities during the 2021 season. al, 17 Nov. 2021 Mother’s Day Luau, a four-hour extravaganza featuring entertainment and delicious food amid the festivity of a traditional Hawaiian soiree. Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2022 Whether for a dinner party, wedding festivity, or outdoor soirée, people are experimenting with embellishments during the day and daring cutouts or feathers. Irina Grechko, refinery29.com, 7 June 2022 The young prince enjoyed himself while watching the festivity alongside several members of the royal family at Buckingham Palace, before later joining Queen Elizabeth's surprise balcony appearance. Quinci Legardye, Harper's BAZAAR, 5 June 2022 Below, Gormley and guests share tips on how to host your own seasonal festivity. New York Times, 11 May 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
festivity
noun
fes·tiv·i·ty fe-ˈsti-və-tē
plural festivities
1
: festive activity
holiday festivities
2
: celebration and enjoyment
a feeling of festivity
festivity
noun
1
as in cheerfulness
a mood characterized by high spirits and amusement and often accompanied by laughter rather than mourn our friend's death we celebrated his life, and his memorial service was more notable for its festivity than its funereal gloom Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- cheerfulness
- glee
- merriness
- cheer
- merriment
- mirth
- joviality
- joyfulness
- gaiety
- hilarity
- cheeriness
- gayety
- mirthfulness
- brightness
- humor
- gayness
- reveling
- revelry
- gleefulness
- frivolity
- jollity
- joking
- jollification
- revelling
- playfulness
- levity
- funning
- joyousness
- liveliness
- jocundity
- vivacity
- lightheartedness
- buoyancy
- sportiveness
- sunniness
- giddiness
- jocularity
- rejoicing
- jubilance
- animation
- buffoonery
- jocosity
- insouciance
- jauntiness
- flippancy
- jesting
- rollicking
- perkiness
- clownishness
- jocoseness
- frolicking
- good-naturedness
- good-humoredness
- gamesomeness
- joshing
- romping
- gamboling
- jest
- gambolling
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- sadness
- sorrow
- melancholy
- solemnity
- unhappiness
- dejection
- gloom
- seriousness
- blues
- depression
- earnestness
- gravity
- forlornness
- bile
- discontent
- grimness
- spleen
- soberness
- sourness
- despondence
- solemnness
- mournfulness
- woe
- gloominess
- darkness
- moodiness
- joylessness
- disgruntlement
- mourning
- plaintiveness
- blackness
- graveness
- glumness
- misery
- desolation
- desolateness
- wretchedness
- sobersidedness
- heartbreak
- woefulness
- dolefulness
- dolorousness
- miserableness
2
as in celebration
a time or program of special events and entertainment in honor of something year-long festivities will mark the 300th anniversary of the city's founding Synonyms & Similar Words
- celebration
- festival
- fiesta
- carnival
- jubilee
- fest
- gala
- fete
- fête
- merrymaking
- revelry
- merriment
- jollification
- jollity
- rejoicing
- revel
- jamboree
- exhibition
- exhibit
- fair
- show
- exposition
- exercises
- honors
3
as in merrymaking
joyful or festive activity in keeping with their habit of doing everything in a big way, the couple's wedding will entail a whole weekend of festivity Synonyms & Similar Words
- celebration
- merrymaking
- revelry
- merriment
- festival
- cheerfulness
- jollity
- jollification
- gaiety
- rejoicing
- conviviality
- fun
- reveling
- gayety
- enjoyment
- joy
- entertainment
- cheer
- merriness
- revelling
- whoopee
- mirth
- carnival
- joviality
- happiness
- riot
- glee
- delight
- funning
- cheeriness
- hilarity
- diversion
- pleasure
- carousal
- recreation
- mirthfulness
- revel
- carouse
- playfulness
- frivolity
- mischief
- party
- rollicking
- lightheartedness
- gleefulness
- levity
- jocularity
- frolicking
- zaniness
- buffoonery
- joking
- frolic
- flippancy
- romping
- jesting
- rollick
- gamboling
- romp
- lark
- gambol
- spree
- clownishness
- binge
- gambolling
- fling
- joshing
- clownery
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- mourning
- grief
- misery
- gloom
- darkness
- gloominess
- woe
- blackness
- wretchedness
- heartache
- heartbreak
- melancholy
- sorrow
- mournfulness
- dolor
- glumness
- unhappiness
- dejection
- miserableness
- heartsickness
- depression
- despondency
- dolefulness
- doldrums
- dumps
- joylessness
- forlornness
- despondence
- downheartedness
- dispiritedness
- disconsolateness