carnival

carnival — noun

1. a large yearly public celebration in a town or city where people dress up in col

1.名詞B2
釋義

a large yearly public celebration in a town or city where people dress up in colourful clothes, dance to music, and enjoy parades and street parties

例句

The streets of Rio are full of dancers and music during the annual carnival.

annual carnival as a yearly event

Leila made her own costume for the school carnival parade.

carnival + noun modifier: carnival parade

同義詞
  • festival

    broader term; a festival can be about music, film, or religion, while a carnival specifically involves street celebration with costumes and parades

  • celebration

    more general; carnival implies a larger, organized public event

  • Mardi Gras

    a specific carnival celebration that takes place just before Lent, especially in New Orleans

文法句型

carnival + noun (as modifier): carnival parade, carnival costume

用法筆記

Often capitalized (Carnival) when referring to specific named events such as the Rio Carnival or the Notting Hill Carnival. As an uncountable noun it refers to the season or general activity ('It's carnival this weekend.')

常見錯誤

❌We went to the carnival festival
✅We went to the carnival.
💡carnival already describes a festival, so adding 'festival' is redundant.
❌Carnival is only about eating and drinking.
✅Carnival involves music, dancing, and costumes as well as food and drink.
💡the word covers the whole celebration, not just eating.

2. a travelling outdoor entertainment with exciting rides, prize games, and food st

2.名詞B1
釋義

a travelling outdoor entertainment with exciting rides, prize games, and food stalls, usually set up on a piece of open land for a short period

例句

The carnival set up a giant Ferris wheel and bumper cars on the school field.

typical travelling carnival — rides set up on open land

Priya won a stuffed bear by throwing rings onto bottles at the carnival.

同義詞
  • funfair

    chiefly British English; specifically emphasizes the rides and sideshow games

  • fair

    broader term in American English; a fair may also include agricultural exhibitions or competitions

  • amusement park

    a permanent site with rides, not a travelling one

用法筆記

In British English, this sense is also called a funfair. The American equivalent is often a fair or carnival, though American English also uses traveling carnival. The rides at this kind of carnival are often called fairground rides.

常見錯誤

❌I went to the carnival to watch the parade.' (if you mean rides)
✅I went to the carnival to try the bumper cars and eat hot dogs.
💡sense 2 is about rides and games, not a street parade.

3. a community gathering held outdoors, organized by a school, church, or local gro

3.名詞B1
釋義

a community gathering held outdoors, organized by a school, church, or local group to raise money or bring neighbours together, with games, food stalls, and small competitions

例句

The school carnival raised enough money to buy new books for the library.

school carnival — common collocation for fundraising event

Hana baked cakes for the stall at her village's summer carnival.

同義詞
  • fête

    chiefly British English; a smaller outdoor event, often with similar activities and held by a local community

  • fair

    used in some contexts for community fundraising events, especially in American English

  • bazaar

    often held indoors, with goods for sale, and sometimes a stronger emphasis on shopping

用法筆記

This sense overlaps with the American English word 'carnival' (sense 2) in some contexts, but differs in that sense 3 is chiefly about community fundraising and small local fun, not large commercial rides. British English often calls this type a fête.

常見錯誤

❌The charity carnival had a giant roller coaster.' (too large for a school event)
✅The charity carnival had cake stalls, a tombola, and a penalty shoot-out.
💡community carnivals usually have smaller activities than travelling funfairs.