ceilidh

variants also ceili
Scottish & Irish

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ceilidh Dancing The Irish Network hosts its annual ceili (dance) from 4 to 7pm Sunday at the Hyatt Centric French Quarter. Carlie Kollath Wells, Axios, 14 Mar. 2025 The night concluded with a ceilidh hosted by Amber’s music school friends, the Haggis Chasers. Rebecca Cope, Vogue, 10 Oct. 2024 The night concluded with a ceilidh hosted by Amber’s music school friends, the Haggis Chasers. Rebecca Cope, Vogue, 10 Oct. 2024 The Scotland episode sandwiches the synagogue moment with Levy standing in an ornate castle doing Sean Connery impressions, visiting a tailor to custom-make a kilt, and at a ceilidh, dancing in a kilt and making jokes about the ventilation. Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Aug. 2024 Make sure to grab a wee dram at The Malt Room, Inverness’ first whisky bar, followed by Hootananny, a ceilidh cafe for live traditional Scottish folk music (even Mumford and Sons have played here). Marisel Salazar, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Dec. 2022 The wedding featured three musical moments in total: Italian jazz, followed by a ceilidh band, and then an ’80s and ’90s disco by DJ Henri, which had everyone dancing past 3 a.m. Emma Elwick-Bates, Vogue, 28 June 2022 She’s a member of the Irish American Club and a traditional Irish ceilidh dancer. Elissa Welle, Detroit Free Press, 9 Feb. 2022 But later in the episode, while attending a traditional Scottish ceilidh — think of the Gatherings featured on Outlander — at Borthwick Castle, McTavish and his hips are given their rightful time to shine. Sarene Leeds, Vulture, 1 Mar. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ceilidh
Noun
  • In live shows the song can easily extend to 15-minute or longer jam sessions, and nobody is mad about it.
    Shana Naomi Krochmal, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Somewhere in Brooklyn, below where a family of four sleeps, a basement bunker is the home to a one-man jam session almost every night for six months of the year.
    James L. Edwards III, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The band is slated to play a set on the Mojave Stage during the Indio festival's first weekend, while Ed Sheeran is set to take a similar slot during Coachella's second weekend.
    Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • While Hollywood’s A-list may be present across much of the festival, Cannes has opted for a typically local affair for its opening night film.
    Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 10 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • For lunch there are soups, salads, quiches and toasts, such as avocado toast or peanut butter and jam.
    Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 7 Apr. 2025
  • After a pair of visits by pitching coach Pete Maki, Alcalde got out of the jam by striking out Yordan Alvarez looking and getting Christian Walker to fly out.
    John Shipley, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The church annually has a songfest following Dec. 25, which actually begins the Christmas season, but this one will honor the Rev. Wally Hyclak, who is retiring Jan. 1.
    cleveland, cleveland, 13 Dec. 2019
  • The songfest began with the women introducing themselves by singing out their names.
    Dennis Hohenberger, Courant Community, 29 May 2018
Noun
  • Voigt accompanied various community choirs and would perform in solo and collaborative recitals, and was the organist at Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church in Oak Park for a half-century.
    Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2025
  • There are assignments within Alex’s original assignment, adding bullet points to her to-do list, like playing in a recital and completing Elizabeth’s true-love questionnaire, as well as further obligations to do other things that scare her for a week straight.
    Courtney Howard, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ceilidh.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ceilidh. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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