Meanings
bacchanalia1
plural bacchanalias
- Any wild, orgiastic party or celebration.
His sexuality had been an open secret within the industry for decades: his pool parties, described as “blond bacchanalias”, were legendary.
2023 October 6, Ryan Gilbey, “The double life of Rock Hudson: ‘Let’s be frank, he was a horndog!’”, in The Guardian, →ISSN1 more example
Now counting about 600 homes, it is a place of mythic weekend-long parties and carnal pleasure, a byword for bacchanalia and fleshy hedonism – but also simply a secluded haven where people can be themselves.
2025 June 11, Oliver Wainwright, “‘Made for sex’: the hedonistic party palaces of New York’s Fire Island – and the blond bombshell who made them”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
Bacchanalia2
- broadlyAlternative letter-case form of bacchanalia; a drunken feast; drunken revels; an orgy.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounan orgiastic festival in ancient Greece in honor of Dionysus (= Bacchus)
nouna wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Bacchanalia · noun
- Ancient GreekΒάκχος
- LatinBacchānālia“feast of Bacchus”
- EnglishBacchanalia
From Latin Bacchānālia (“feast of Bacchus”), plural of Bacchānal (“a place devoted to Bacchus”), from Bacchus (“the god of wine”), from Ancient Greek Βάκχος (Bákkhos).
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian вакхана́лия
- вакхана́лия (vakhanálija)feast in honor of Bacchus
Chinese Mandarin 酒神節 /酒神节
- 酒神節 /酒神节 (jiǔshénjié)feast in honor of Bacchus
Dutch bacchanaal
- bacchanaalTranslations
Finnish juomingit, bakkanaalit
- juomingitTranslations
- bakkanaalitTranslations
- bakkanaalitfeast in honor of Bacchus
French bacchanales
- bacchanalesfeast in honor of Bacchus
German Bacchanal
- BacchanalTranslations
Hindi मद्यपानोत्सव, भोग-विलास
- मद्यपानोत्सव (madyapānotsav)Translations
- भोग-विलास (bhog-vilās)Translations
Japanese バッカス祭
- バッカス祭 (Bakkasu sai)feast in honor of Bacchus
Korean 바카날리아, 바커스 축제
- 바카날리아 (bakanallia)feast in honor of Bacchus
- 바커스 축제 (Bakeoseu chukje)feast in honor of Bacchus
Polish bachanalia, bachanalia
- bachanaliaTranslations
- bachanaliafeast in honor of Bacchus
Russian вакхана́лия, разгу́л
- вакхана́лия (vakxanálija)Translations
- разгу́л (razgúl)Translations
- вакхана́лия (vakxanálija)feast in honor of Bacchus
Ukrainian вакхана́лія
- вакхана́лія (vakxanálija)feast in honor of Bacchus
Cite this entry
bacchanalia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bacchanalia
“bacchanalia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bacchanalia. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bacchanalia,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bacchanalia.
Source: bacchanalia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.