hilarity
Americannoun
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cheerfulness; merriment; mirthfulness.
-
boisterous gaiety or merriment.
noun
Synonym Usage
See mirth.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hilarity
1560–70; earlier hilaritie, from Latin hilaritās, equivalent to hilari(s) ( see hilarious) + -tās -ty 2
Explanation
Hilarity is that side-splitting, tear-inducing, laugh-until-you-can't-breathe happiness of a romping good time. There's usually an atmosphere of hilarity just after the ball drops on New Year's Eve. It's that feeling of cheerfulness — hilaritas in Latin — that fills the room when the clock strikes midnight. If your teacher passes out cupcakes and lets you play games instead of reading aloud, she may have a hard time controlling the ensuing hilarity in the classroom.
Vocabulary lists containing hilarity
The London Eye Mystery
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Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 1
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Bill Parcells' Hall of Fame Induction Speech
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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.
In recent years, creator Bill Lawrence has struck chords with emotional, warm-hearted hits like “Ted Lasso” and “Shrinking,” but this is where his blend of heart and hilarity really came together.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 30, 2026
So is their occasional lapse into dry hilarity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025
The prime minister made the juggling hand gesture that accompanies the reference, prompting class-wide hilarity.
From BBC • Nov. 25, 2025
Cassandra Peterson understands the power of a movie night — or more specifically, the kind of movie night that wobbles between horror and hilarity, where the fake blood maybe gleams brighter than the budget.
From Salon • Oct. 27, 2025
Again the owl had difficulty in controlling his unbridled hilarity.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
