Lewis & Short

festīvus, a, um, adj. [1. festus; lit., feast-like, belonging to a feast; hence], lively, gay, festive, joyous, gladsome, merry (syn.: lepidus, urbanus, salsus, facetus).

  1. I. Lit. (ante- and post-class.): festivum festinant diem, Enn. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 9, 401 (Trag. v. 434 ed. Vahl.): ludi, Plaut. Cas. 4, 1, 3; cf. alea, Gell. 18, 13, 1: locus, Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 5; id. Poen. 5, 1, 9: facinus lepidum et festivum, id. ib. 1, 2, 95: hospitium in lepido loco, id. ib. 3, 3, 82; cf.: festivissimum convivium, Just. 38, 8 fin.
    1. * B. Subst.: festīvum, i, n., festive jollity, festivity: in vindemiarum festivo, Lampr. Heliog. 11.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. In gen., agreeable, pleasing, handsome, pretty: luculenta atque festiva femina, Plaut. Mil. 4, 1, 12; cf. id. Ep. 5, 1, 17: nonne igitur sunt ista festiva? Cic. Par. 5, 2, 38: aedes festivissimae, Plaut. Curc. 1, 1, 93: area parvula sed festiva, Plin. Ep. 2, 17, 4: copia librorum, Cic. Att. 2, 6, 1: opera, Plaut. Mil. 2, 6, 108.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. Of behavior, character, etc., jovial, jocose, agreeable, dear: quod te isti facilem et festivum putant, Ter. Ad. 5, 9, 29: puer, Cic. Att. 1, 12 fin.; cf.: quibus (pueris) nihil potest esse festivius, id. Fam. 6, 4, 3: filius, id. Fl. 36, 91: homo, id. Phil. 5, 5, 13; id. de Or. 2, 68, 277.
      2. 2. As a term of endearment: o mi pater festivissime! Ter. Ad. 5, 9, 26; so, festivum caput! id. ib. 2, 3, 8.
      3. 3. Of speech, humorous, pleasant, witty: dulcis et facetus festivique sermonis, Cic. Off. 1, 30, 108: poëma facit ita festivum, ita concinnum, ita elegans, nihil ut fieri possit argutius, id. Pis. 29, 70: oratio, id. de Or. 3, 25, 100: acroama, id. Verr. 2, 4, 22, § 49; Quint. 6, 3, 39.
        Hence, adv., in two forms, festīve (class.) and festīvĭter (ante- and post-class.).
      1. * 1. Joyously, gayly, cheerfully: loco in festivo sumus festive accepti, Plaut. Ps. 5, 1, 9.
      2. 2. Transf.
        1. * a. Agreeably, pleasantly, delightfully: o domus parata pulchrae familiae festiviter! Naev. ap. Non. 510, 16.
        2. b. Humorously, facetiously, wittily.
          1. (α) Form festive: agere fabellam, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 16, 3: crimen contexere, id. Deiot. 6, 19: dissolvere argumentum, id. Div. 2, 15, 35: aliquid odorari, id. Att. 4, 14, 2: tradere elementa loquendi, id. Ac. 2, 28, 92. As a particle of assent: quare bene et praeclare quamvis nobis saepe dicatur: belle et festive nimium saepe nolo, Cic. de Or. 3, 26, 101.
          2. (β) Form festiviter: Epictetus severe simul ac festiviter sejunxit a vero Stoico, qui esset ἀκώλυτος, Gell. 1, 2, 7: respondere, id. 1, 22, 6.
            Sup.: decorare festum festivissime, Poët. ap. Charis. 2, p. 180 P. (Rib. Fragm. Trag. Inc. 223).