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Diwali

Diwali

6 4.8
A Hindu autumn festival when people light lamps to celebrate the victory of light over darkness
  • proper noun
  • /dɪˈwɑːli/
: Diwali
  • Deepawali or Diwali is certainly the biggest and brightest of all festivals.
  • Diwali festival
  • Hindu festival of Diwali
  • Diwali holiday

Examples

  • The children eagerly awaited the fireworks display on Diwali, marking the end of the festivities.

  • During Diwali, people light candles and decorate their homes with beautiful rangoli designs.

  • Nice meeting you madam, Happy Diwali.

  • Many were freshly painted in early November for Diwali, the annual festival of lights.

    Academic text (2001)
  • She invited us to spend the evening with her family celebrating Diwali.

  • The five-day Hindu festival Diwali honors the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi.

    Blog text (8)
  • We gathered with friends and family to celebrate Diwali and enjoy the festive lights.

Antonyms

482 1.0

A time or place with almost no light

Surface Forms

Diwali main

Etymology

Diwali comes from the old Indian word Deepavali, made of dīpa ('lamp') and āvalī ('row' or 'line'), so it means 'a row of lamps'. That's why families light lamps and candles during Diwali to show the victory of light over darkness and to mark a new year in some communities.