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hilarious

American  
[hi-lair-ee-uhs, -lar-, hahy-] / hɪˈlɛər i əs, -ˈlær-, haɪ- /

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 British  
/ hɪˈlɛərɪəs /

adjective

  1. very funny or merry

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Fittingly, the actor, comedian and podcaster has brought an excitable, unpredictable and hilarious energy to his roles on shows including “The League,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “Big Mouth.”

From Los Angeles Times

Some of the kids at school seemed to think that was hilarious.

From Literature

I’d seen the series countless times, often quoting the hilarious lines that she delivered with such singular eccentricity — dripping with sequin-laced cunning.

From Los Angeles Times

His acknowledgement sparked even more excitement on Chinese social media, with many fans praising him with the hashtag "Malfoy himself is 100% hilarious".

From BBC

“A friend and joyful mother, a hilarious and loyal sister, and a beautiful, fiery daughter.”

From Los Angeles Times