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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.

"I think it's hilarious, I loved it, really," he said.

From BBC

This uncomfortably hilarious and cutting dramedy from Simón Mesa Soto addresses both artistic failure and how often creative fields expect voices from disadvantaged backgrounds to exploit their trauma for the edification of the bourgeoisie.

From Los Angeles Times

Taylor is hilarious and unsparing, offering an ending that is among the most heartbreaking in literature.

From The Wall Street Journal

That was a long way of getting to the World Cup ticket fiasco, which has been both predictable and hilarious.

From The Wall Street Journal

A completely sinister, bleakly hilarious bit of soundtrack work that the Veronicas must have found absolutely delicious.

From Los Angeles Times