hilarity

noun

hi·​lar·​i·​ty hi-ˈler-ə-tē 

hī-

: boisterous merriment or laughter

Synonyms of hilarity

• glee
• cheerfulness
• merriness
• festivity
• cheer

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

Time spent with Abby is worth it, since Hall transcends her character’s flat redundancies by raising every moment to the height of hilarity. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 18 Sep. 2026

Horgan's a genius at squeezing awkward hilarity out of modern life, and this one's sure to be worth watching. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026

The process of building a character requires some degree of ego death, and as the old Mona disappears and a new Mona emerges, Moore’s own performance reaches transcendent levels of hilarity. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026

Punches are thrown, a bottle is smashed over Harrelson’s head and general hilarity ensues over the next few moments. — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hilarity

• alterity
• asperity
• austerity
• celerity
• dexterity
• disparity
• molarity
• planarity
• polarity
• posterity
• prosperity
• severity

Kids Definition

hilarity

noun

hi·​lar·​i·​ty hil-ˈar-ət-ē 

-ˈer-;

hī-ˈlar-, 

-ˈler-

: noisy fun