festival
/ˈfestɪvl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfestɪvl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfe-stə-vəl/ (ame, mw)
festival — noun
- festivalsingular
- festivalsplural
1. a special time of year when a community celebrates a religious or cultural tradi
a special time of year when a community celebrates a religious or cultural tradition through ceremonies, special food, and shared activities
The Lantern Festival marks the end of the New Year celebrations with lantern displays and parades.
collocation: Lantern Festival / harvest festival / religious festival
Every autumn, the village holds a harvest festival with music, dancing, and a shared feast.
collocation: celebrate a festival with [activities]
Walid's family travels back to their hometown each year to celebrate the spring festival together.
During the festival period, many shops close early so workers can join their families.
The festival of Diwali is celebrated by millions of families around the world.
- holiday
a day when people do not work, but not necessarily involving celebration or ceremony
- celebration
broader term for any joyful event, from a party to a national occasion
- feast
emphasises abundant food and drink; often part of a religious festival
用法筆記
The name of a specific festival is usually capitalised and often preceded by 'the' (the Lantern Festival, the festival of Diwali). Generic uses like 'harvest festival' are written in lower case.
常見錯誤
2. a large public event, held regularly, where many performances, shows, or activit
a large public event, held regularly, where many performances, shows, or activities are presented in one place, often over several days
Élise bought tickets to the jazz festival right after they went on sale.
collocation: music festival / jazz festival / film festival
The Edinburgh International Festival brings performers and visitors from over forty countries each summer.
Haruto's band played at a small music festival in the mountains last August.
The film festival showed movies from twelve different countries and sold out within hours.
A food festival set up stalls in the park selling dishes from across Asia.
用法筆記
When the type of festival is clear from context, the modifier can be dropped: 'We're going to the festival this weekend.' The head noun 'festival' stays in singular even when referring to the event as a whole.
常見錯誤
festival — adjective
- festivalpositive
- more festivalcomparative
- most festivalsuperlative
1. connected with or suitable for a festival; having a joyful, celebratory quality
connected with or suitable for a festival; having a joyful, celebratory quality typical of a festival
The streets were decorated with festival banners and colourful lights.
attributive: festival banners / festival costumes / festival mood
A festival atmosphere filled the town square as the parade began.
The children wore bright festival costumes made of silk and paper flowers for the show.
Romi prepared a feast of traditional festival dishes for the whole neighbourhood.
- festive
far more common; can be used both before nouns and after linking verbs (the mood was festive)
- celebratory
emphasises the act of celebrating; slightly more formal
- carnival
used attributively (carnival atmosphere), but suggests a specific type of lively, outdoor event
文法句型
attributive only — placed before a noun, not after a linking verb
用法筆記
This attributive adjective is far less common than the noun 'festival'. Learners at lower levels should use 'festive' (meaning 'joyful and celebratory') when a predicative adjective is needed — 'a festive mood', 'the atmosphere was festive'. 'Festival' as an adjective cannot follow a linking verb.