What does hilarious mean?
Hilarious is an adjective meaning extremely funny or capable of making people laugh. It is stronger and more expressive than funny, and it commonly describes a joke, performance, scene, story, or situation whose comic effect is obvious or overwhelming. The word appears in everyday conversation as well as informal writing, where intensifiers such as absolutely and completely are frequent. Its cheerful associations extend beyond comedy: something can be hilarious because it is playful, absurd, or unexpected. Although it can occasionally refer to a person's manner or behaviour, its usual focus is on amusement. The word ultimately comes from Latin hilaris, “cheerful, merry,” which developed from Greek hilaros, “laughable” or “cheerful.”
adjectiveCausing great laughter; extremely funny. The word often expresses amused delight at something absurd or amusing.
- Causing great laughter; extremely funny.
"The comedian's impression of a confused airport announcer was absolutely hilarious."
"The film was hilarious from beginning to end."
"We spent the afternoon laughing at his hilarious explanation of how the microwave works."
Hilarious comes from the Latin hilaris, meaning cheerful or merry, and ultimately from the Greek hilaros, meaning laughable.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hilarious come from?
Hilarious entered English in the early 19th century, drawing on Latin hilaris, “cheerful, merry,” and hilaritas, “cheerfulness, merriment.” The Latin words are borrowed from Greek hilaros, meaning “cheerful” or “laughable,” and hilaria, “a festival.” English later developed the closely related noun hilarity, while hilarious became the standard adjective for something exceptionally funny.
How hilarious is actually used
Hilarious is an informal-to-neutral adjective used for things that are extremely funny, especially in speech and casual writing. It is often used with intensifiers such as absolutely, completely, and totally.