Meaning
carousel, ride; joust
- carousel, merry-go-round; amusement ride
- joust, tournament
In a sentence
Alla festa medievale hanno fatto una giostra a cavallo.
At the medieval fair they held a joust on horseback.
Hai visto la giostra con gli anelli ieri?
Did you see the ring-target contest yesterday?
Non salgo sulla giostra, mi gira la testa.
I’m not getting on the ride, it makes me dizzy.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| giostra | feminine · singular |
| giostre | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- For the fairground ride, giostra is common in Italy; carosello also exists but often sounds more literary or old-fashioned.
- At amusement parks, giostra can mean one ride or attraction broadly, not only a carousel. Context matters.
- In modern everyday speech, the medieval sense is rare and mostly historical or literary.