Standard Lemma guide

Bacchanalian

adj · noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˌbækəˈneɪli.ən/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of or pertaining to the festival of Bacchus, relating to or given to reveling and drunkenness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Greek, Roman, not-comparable

Topics: human-sciences, mysticism, mythology, philosophy, sciences

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: bacchic, bacchian; Dionysiac, Dionysian; dionysiac, dionysian

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bacchic, bacchian, Dionysiac, Dionysian

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of or resembling wild or unrestrained revelry.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Alternative letter-case form of Bacchanalian.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A bacchanal; a drunken reveler.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Alternative letter-case form of Bacchanalian.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

used of riotously drunken merrymaking

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a night of bacchanalian revelry
  • carousing bands of drunken soldiers
  • orgiastic festivity

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bacchanal, bacchic, carousing, orgiastic

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English Bacchanalia Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Italic *-nos Latin -nus Latin -ānus Old French -ainder. Middle English -an English -an English Bacchanalian From Bacchanalia + -an.

Across languages

Translations

6 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Dutch: bacchantisch — relating to the festival of Bacchus
  • German: bacchantisch — relating to the festival of Bacchus
  • Dutch: bacchant — a drunken reveler
  • German: Bacchant — a drunken reveler
  • Polish: bachant — a drunken reveler
  • Polish: bachantka — a drunken reveler