hilarious
Americanadjective
-
arousing great merriment; extremely funny.
a hilarious story; a hilarious old movie.
-
boisterously merry or cheerful.
a hilarious celebration.
- Synonyms:
- high-spirited, rollicking, jolly, lively
-
merry; cheerful.
adjective
Usage
What does hilarious mean? Hilarious means extremely funny, like literally lol funny.Hilarious is most commonly used to describe someone or something (like a joke or a movie) as super funny. Much less commonly, it used to mean very merry or cheerful, as in a hilarious celebration.Example: The movie was absolutely hilarious—I was laughing so hard at one point that I was crying.
Other Word Forms
- hilariously adverb
- hilariousness noun
- hyperhilarious adjective
- hyperhilariously adverb
- hyperhilariousness noun
- unhilarious adjective
- unhilariously adverb
- unhilariousness noun
Etymology
Origin of hilarious
1815–25; < Latin hilar ( is ), hilar ( us ) cheerful (< Greek hilarós ) + -ious
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I know that sounds like a desperate postmodern gambit, but it pays hilarious and chilling dividends by turning episodes previously recounted only in disputed legal proceedings into confrontational Brechtian theater.
From Salon
Carson’s amazing comedic monologues and silly antics gave viewers humor without being annoying, his off-the-cuff quips were hilarious, and interviews with interesting guests sparked laughter.
"Obviously I give my own spin on things, I am always really inspired by Regina and Rachel McAdams' version of Regina, I just think she is extremely iconic and hilarious."
From BBC
The mother of Child E, who described her son as a "hilarious, cheeky, happy little boy," said his trust had been "manipulated and ultimately destroyed".
From BBC
It’s the second time Hernández has played the comedian, whose caricature of Maniscalco in a red blazer and black turtleneck is at turns spot on, exaggerated and completely hilarious.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
