festive

a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.

a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

festive (ˈfɛstɪv)

—*adj*
	appropriate to or characteristic of a holiday, etc; merry

[C17: from Latin festīvus joyful, from festus of a feast]

'festively

—*adv*

'festiveness

—n

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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

festive

1650s, pertaining to a feast, from L. festivus, from festum festival, holiday. Meaning mirthful is attested by 1774.

Example sentences

But nearby, inside a shelter of waist-high walls and a corrugated tin roof, the

mood is almost festive.

Enjoy breakfast and coffee, a light lunch and sweet treats while listening to

festive music performed by local musicians.

Every year, scores of artists try to pen the next festive favorite.

The campaign has been peaceful and festive so far, with plenty of banners and

posters and catchy sloganeering.

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bowl bunting cavort confetti convivial daisy chain

Matching Quote

"Dear, sweet, unforgettable childhood! Why does this irrevocable time, forever departed, seem brighter, more festive and richer than it actually was?"

-Anton Pavlovich Chekhov