hilarity

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noun hi·lar·i·ty \ hi-ˈler-ə-tē , hī- \

Definition of hilarity

:boisterous merriment or laughter

See hilarity defined for English-language learners

See hilarity defined for kids

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 of hilarity from the Web

Balls filled with extractable biscuits and the like will test the panda’s cognitive chops, and will no doubt provide hours and hours of YouTube hilarity besides.

— ryan p. smith, Smithsonian, "Bei Bei the Panda Cub Celebrates his Second Birthday in Style," 23 Aug. 2017
This show has a huge wind at its back before the curtain even goes up because of Lindsay-Abaire’s fine script, which just crackles with vitriol and hilarity.

— punch shaw, star-telegram, "Senior living has never been funnier, or more cutthroat, than in ‘Ripcord’," 22 Aug. 2017
Add more jokes about survivalists and about Trump for his tough talk, and hilarity ensues.

— john kass, chicagotribune.com, "What's so funny about Kim Jong Un?," 9 Aug. 2017
Oh, the hilarity of people who don’t know how to feel anything but who always know how every single thing should be done.

— heather havrilesky, The Cut, "Ask Polly: My Boyfriend Has ALS, and My Friends Are Making Things Worse," 9 Aug. 2017
On the surface, Rick and Morty is a zany science fiction cartoon that often walks the line between hilarity and darkness.

— lisa eadicicco, Time, "Dan Harmon on the Future of Rick and Morty and That Community Movie," 19 July 2017
YONGIN, South Korea (AP) — One of South Korea’s hottest YouTube stars is a 70-year-old grandmother whose cool, undaunted style and hilarity are a breath of fresh air in a social media universe that exalts youth and perfect looks.

— youkyung lee, The Seattle Times, "70-year-old YouTube hit redefining beauty in South Korea," 14 July 2017
His deadpan persona is belied by the dry hilarity of his zingers.

— robert w. butler, kansascity.com, "‘The Big Sick’ is big on humor, heartbreak and originality," 5 July 2017
Last year there was a lot of giggling and general hilarity.

— elizabeth kramer, The Courier-Journal, "5 places to take a selfie at Forecastle Festival 2017," 29 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hilarity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.