bacchanalia

noun

bac·​cha·​na·​lia ˌba-kə-ˈnāl-yə How to pronounce bacchanalia (audio)
ˌbä-
plural bacchanalia
Synonyms of bacchanalianext
1
Bacchanalia plural : a Roman festival of Bacchus celebrated with dancing, song, and revelry
2
bacchanalian adjective or noun

Examples of bacchanalia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Mini bars burst with silk eye covers, collagen masks, melatonin sprays and ear plugs, suggesting the bacchanalia Estelle encourages. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 May 2026 All my pre-planning collapsed into a still-now-overwhelming-to-contemplate bacchanalia of trying stuff. Adam Dalva, Longreads, 29 Apr. 2026 While the young actors light up the screen in their other ventures, here, they are simply dragged and squeezed into Levinson's male gaze bacchanalia. Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026 Betting is folded into the bacchanalia, so even non-gamblers gamble. J.j. Bailey, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bacchanalia

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Bacchus

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bacchanalia was in 1591

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Cite this Entry

“Bacchanalia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bacchanalia. Accessed 22 May. 2026.

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