hilarious

[ hi-lair-ee-uhs, -lar-, hahy- ]

adjective

1. arousing great merriment; extremely funny:

   a hilarious story; a hilarious old movie.

2. boisterously merry or cheerful:

   a hilarious celebration.

   Synonyms: high-spirited, rollicking, jolly, lively

   Antonyms: solemn, serious, sad

3. merry; cheerful.

hilarious

/ hɪˈlɛərɪəs /

adjective

1. very funny or merry

Derived Forms

• hiˈlariously, adverb
• hiˈlariousness, noun

Other Words From

• hi·lari·ous·ly adverb
• hi·lari·ous·ness noun
• hyper·hi·lari·ous adjective
• hyper·hi·lari·ous·ly adverb
• hyper·hi·lari·ous·ness noun
• unhi·lari·ous adjective
• unhi·lari·ous·ly adverb
• unhi·lari·ous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hilarious¹

1815–25; < Latin hilar ( is ), hilar ( us ) cheerful (< Greek hilarós ) + -ious

Word History and Origins

Origin of hilarious¹

C19: from Latin hilaris glad, from Greek hilaros

Example Sentences

"I think they had requirements on things that she didn't want to talk about, she didn't want to talk about marijuana legalization, which I thought was hilarious."

From Salon

It’s a hilarious blend of intersecting cultures in a sketch that seems to only have the chance of working because people like Pascal and Hernández are at the center.

From Salon

They are made to be afraid that a whole lot of men think Tucker Carlson is lol hilarious for talking about the need to vote for Trump as tantamount to “spanking a bad little girl.”

From Slate

A case of massive oppositional mendacity that borders on the hilarious — except that many people believed and continue to believe him, all evidence to the contrary.

From Los Angeles Times

"She will be remembered for her legendary voiceovers of Nicola Sturgeon during the pandemic, her hilarious and outspoken comedy, but most of all for just being 'Janey'."

From BBC

Related Words

• amusing
• comical
• entertaining
• humorous
• laughable
• lively
• priceless
• uproarious