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
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of hilarious
1815–25; < Latin hilar ( is ), hilar ( us ) cheerful (< Greek hilarós ) + -ious
Explanation
One person can find a joke a little funny, while someone else might find it downright hilarious. When something is super-funny, it's hilarious. Hilarious is an adjective that describes a high degree of humor. Things that are funny can cause you to smile or giggle, but when something is hilarious, it causes you to laugh out loud. Of course, what's hilarious to me might not be to you. When I scribbled obscenities on your face while you were asleep? I found that totally hilarious. You? Not so much. Hilarious is also used sarcastically, when something isn't funny at all. Like when you woke up: you glared at me and said "Hilarious."
Vocabulary lists containing hilarious
"My Favorite Chaperone," Vocabulary from the short story
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "H"
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Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus
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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.
We know they’ll get their man, but it will take some time, and more than a few hilarious and heartbreaking misfires.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
It is hilarious and tragic and ultimately unforgivable, all at the same time.
From Salon • Jun. 7, 2026
The short break for hilarious antics evolved into more elaborate dares that are now essential to “Queer Roast.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
And judging from those in attendance, parts of “The Fear of 13,” in which Adrien Brody plays a wrongfully convicted man on death row, are hilarious.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
He also became prone to sudden fits of hilarious laughter over nothing, which, while disconcerting, nevertheless made him entertaining company.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
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.
