hilarious

adjective

hi·​lar·​i·​ous hi-ˈler-ē-əs How to pronounce hilarious (audio)
hī-
: marked by or causing hilarity : extremely funny
hilariously adverb
hilariousness noun

Examples of hilarious in a Sentence

Raymond is different, so well written and acted, so perfectly pitched, that even the silences, especially the silences, are hilarious. It makes comedy look easy. James Morris, Wilson Quarterly, Autumn 2005
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Tim Burton's adaptation of Roald Dahl's beloved (by children) and reviled (by critics and librarians) book, is quirky, well acted, often hilarious, and visually sumptuous, but don't go to it expecting sweetness in anything except the title. Richard Alleva, Commonweal, 12 Aug. 2005
In fairness, McEnroe does have genuine passion for the game, and his willingness to take on the sport's sacred cows is admirable. His candor and hilarious random ruminations as an analyst make even the most lopsided matches worth watching. Jon Wertheim, Sports Illustrated, 17 Sept. 2001
Since his material is genuinely funny, at times hilarious, it makes for a smashing use of audio as a unique entertainment medium. Sedaris has an unexpectedly high-pitched voice that comes across as majorly mischievous in its delivery … Publishers Weekly, 5 May 1997
Some people don't like his comedy, but I think he's hilarious. She gave us a hilarious account of her first days as a teacher. See More
Recent Examples on the Web There is something slightly anachronistic about the rousing feminist themes here, but the film is great fun and the Toronto audience was wildly cheering at the end, which crescendoes with hilarious profanities hurled by both bravura actresses. Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 13 Sep. 2023 Variety also confirms that star Ryan Gosling, who plays the hilarious scene-stealing Ken will be officially submitted for best supporting actor. Clayton Davis, Variety, 13 Sep. 2023 The hilarious realization was caught on camera during a CBS segment and shared on X, formerly Twitter, by reporter A.J. Bayatpour. Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 12 Sep. 2023 McAfee’s reference to the story Saban shared about his hilarious dad moment about attending a junior high basketball game in which his son got a technical. Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 9 Sep. 2023 Tim Scott gets schooled Sen. Tim Scott had a hilarious run-in with young students at Polaris Charter School in Manchester, New Hampshire on Friday morning. Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2023 Susanne Bartsch convinced Mathu, a six-foot-two white Australian, and Zaldy, a five-foot-nine Asian man, to appear at her parties as twins, an idea Zaldy finds hilarious even now. Elyssa Maxx Goodman, ELLE, 7 Sep. 2023 Now, Meghan's former co-star, Patrick J. Adams, has called out the show's newfound success in a hilarious way folks certainly did not see coming. Adrianna Freedman, Good Housekeeping, 6 Sep. 2023 In a video shared on Good Morning America on Wednesday, Garth Brooks and his wife of more than 17 years, Trisha Yearwood, surprised Roberts, 62, with some hilarious advice for a long, happy partnership. Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 31 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hilarious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

irregular from Latin hilarus, hilaris cheerful, from Greek hilaros

First Known Use

circa 1840, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hilarious was circa 1840

Dictionary Entries Near hilarious

Cite this Entry

“Hilarious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hilarious. Accessed 22 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

hilarious

adjective
hi·​lar·​i·​ous hil-ˈar-ē-əs How to pronounce hilarious (audio)
-ˈer-;
hī-ˈlar-,
-ˈler-
: causing hilarity : wildly funny
hilariously adverb
hilariousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on hilarious

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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