Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

convivial


Listen Later

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 20, 2025 is:

convivial • \kun-VIV-ee-ul\  • adjective

Convivial means "relating to, occupied with, or fond of feasting, drinking, and good company."

// A convivial atmosphere filled the gallery, with good food in abundance, and wine and conversation both flowing freely.

// The guests' convivial chatter filled the hall.

See the entry >

Examples:

"For Chrissy Metz, whose childhood upbringing was modest, she says, this house signifies more than just its aesthetic beauty. 'To have a home that I can invite people to and entertain is so important to me,' the actor confides, adding that she always invites people over when she's in town. ... The front sitting room, for example, which doubles as a game room, is the scene of many convivial game nights." — Ariel Foxman, Architectural Digest, 9 Sept. 2024

Did you know?

Convivial is a cheerful word that typically suggests a mood of full-bellied delight in good food, good drink, and good company, which Charles Dickens aptly captures in his novel David Copperfield: "We had a beautiful little dinner. Quite an elegant dish of fish; the kidney-end of a loin of veal, roasted; fried sausage-meat; a partridge, and a pudding. There was wine, and there was strong ale. ... Mr. Micawber was uncommonly convivial. I never saw him such good company. He made his face shine with the punch, so that it looked as if it had been varnished all over. He got cheerfully sentimental about the town, and proposed success to it." Convivial traces back to the Latin word convivium, meaning "banquet," which in turn comes from the verb vivere, meaning "to live." The word is in good company, as vivere has breathed plenty of life into the English language; other common descendants include survive, revive, vivid, and vivacious.



...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Merriam-Webster's Word of the DayBy Merriam-Webster

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

1,189 ratings


More shows like Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

View all
Speak English with ESLPod.com - Learn English Fast by ESLPod.com

Speak English with ESLPod.com - Learn English Fast

2,545 Listeners

TED Talks Daily by TED

TED Talks Daily

11,129 Listeners

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing by QuickAndDirtyTips.com

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

2,826 Listeners

Science Quickly by Scientific American

Science Quickly

1,369 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,052 Listeners

Learn English | EnglishClass101.com by EnglishClass101.com

Learn English | EnglishClass101.com

863 Listeners

RealLife English: Learn and Speak Confident, Natural English by RealLife English

RealLife English: Learn and Speak Confident, Natural English

497 Listeners

All Ears English Podcast by Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan

All Ears English Podcast

2,230 Listeners

Daily Easy English Expression Podcast by Coach Shane

Daily Easy English Expression Podcast

826 Listeners

IELTS Energy English 7+ by Lindsay McMahon, Jessica Beck, Aubrey Carter

IELTS Energy English 7+

421 Listeners

Real English Conversations Podcast – English for Global Professionals | Speak Clearly & Confidently at Work by Real English Conversations: Amy Whitney & Curtis Davies - English Podcast

Real English Conversations Podcast – English for Global Professionals | Speak Clearly & Confidently at Work

398 Listeners

Speak English Now Podcast: Learn English | Speak English without grammar. by Georgiana, founder of SpeakEnglishPodcast.com

Speak English Now Podcast: Learn English | Speak English without grammar.

571 Listeners

American English Podcast by Shana Thompson

American English Podcast

579 Listeners

Confident Business English by Anna Connelly

Confident Business English

144 Listeners

Business English from All Ears English by Lindsay McMahon

Business English from All Ears English

76 Listeners