noun / proper noun
bacchanalia
bak-uh-NAY-lee-uh/bˌækʌnˈeɪljʌ/
A wild celebration marked by drunken revelry.
The party descends into bacchanalia as drinking and dancing fill the hall.
Etymology
A plural form of bacchanalis named Roman festivals honoring Bacchus, the god of wine and revelry. Their notorious excess gave the festival name its broader meaning of wild, drunken celebration.
In context
Some cultures even harnessed these hallucinogenic effects, like the Ancient Romans during bacchanalia, these buckwild drunken festivals.
More examples
- The historian studies Roman Bacchanalia honoring the god Bacchus.
- The novel portrays the court's frequent bacchanalia.
- By morning, the remnants of the bacchanalia littered the courtyard.
Similar words
- revelry
- Can describe lively celebration without heavy drinking or excess.
- carousal
- More specifically emphasizes a noisy drinking party.