hilarity

[hi-lar-i-tee, -lair-, hahy-]

noun

1. cheerfulness; merriment; mirthfulness.

2. boisterous gaiety or merriment.

hilarity

/ hɪˈlærɪtɪ /

noun

1. mirth and merriment; cheerfulness

Other Word Forms

• hyperhilarity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hilarity¹

1560–70; earlier hilaritie, from Latin hilaritās, equivalent to hilari(s) ( hilarious ) + -tās -ty ²

Synonym Study

See mirth.

Example Sentences

But farce is a universal language, and the hilarity is not just translated but alchemized into something riotously contemporary.

From Los Angeles Times

That dynamic yields both dramatic tension and hilarity as Theo and Ivy begin to resent each other.

From Los Angeles Times

The team and its attendant hilarity are picked up by the CW after building a massive social media following.

From Los Angeles Times

Part of the appeal of “Oh, Mary!” is that it just wants to give audiences a concentrated dose of hilarity.

From Los Angeles Times

Kirk Fox, a stand-up and actor, is a master of hilarity who regularly lights up arenas as a feature for Segura on the road.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• amusement 
• merriment