hilarity

noun

hi·​lar·​i·​ty hi-ˈler-ə-tē How to pronounce hilarity (audio)
hī-
: boisterous merriment or laughter

Examples of hilarity in a Sentence

My attempt to carve the turkey was a source of great hilarity at the dinner table. hilarity is the last thing you expect to find at a funeral, but we were there to celebrate his life rather than to dwell on his death
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The hilarity of answering Social Ds for Joe, and Tom, and Sally. Justin Curto, Vulture, 10 Jan. 2025 Only Murders In The Building just gave us one of its finest episodes to-date, with an almost perfect mix of hilarity, emotional payoff and murder mystery. Erik Kain, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 To add to the hilarity, Pelizzari replayed her husband's response in slow motion twice before the 14-second clip ended. Daniella Gray, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025 Laughter and hilarity mingled with a sense of purpose to mark the annual Shave-a-thon at Santiago Canyon College, which supports the St. Baldrick’s Foundation for childhood cancer research. Jen Karmarkar, Orange County Register, 9 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hilarity 

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hilarity was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near hilarity

Cite this Entry

“Hilarity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hilarity. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

hilarity

noun
hi·​lar·​i·​ty hil-ˈar-ət-ē How to pronounce hilarity (audio)
-ˈer-;
hī-ˈlar-,
-ˈler-
: noisy fun

More from Merriam-Webster on hilarity

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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