as in glee
a mood characterized by high spirits and amusement and often accompanied by laughter
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hilarity
The reader bobs along in the author’s stream of consciousness, riding crests of despair, anger, and hilarity as Toews assembles the shards of her past to investigate her will to write, which is deeply entwined with her will to live.
—
Kristen Martin, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2025
The reporters burst out into laughter, too, recognizing the hilarity of Danna being the one to deliver the team’s first message about the major pop culture news of the day — perhaps even the year.
—Sean Neumann, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025
The letters that passed among these four share a tone of intimate hilarity, to the degree that the identity of the correspondents can almost seem interchangeable.
—Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2025
Personal lines get crossed, among other things, and awkward hilarity ensues.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hilarity
Kristen Martin, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2025
The reporters burst out into laughter, too, recognizing the hilarity of Danna being the one to deliver the team’s first message about the major pop culture news of the day — perhaps even the year.
—Sean Neumann, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025
The letters that passed among these four share a tone of intimate hilarity, to the degree that the identity of the correspondents can almost seem interchangeable.
—Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2025
Personal lines get crossed, among other things, and awkward hilarity ensues.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hilarity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hilarity
Noun
-
There’s no glee in the characters, yet somehow James manages to convey a sense of delirious glee for acting — a glee that proves contagious for the audience by the film‘s end.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
24 Oct. 2025
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That boyish glee was evident again Monday against Utah.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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As Milchick, Tillman infused an unnerving cheerfulness into Lumon Industries’ macrodata refinement supervisor, a character who became increasingly central in Season 2.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
15 Sep. 2025
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Her vivacious attitude connects her with Aries (Stacey’s actual birthday is April 3) due to her fearlessness and cheerfulness in situations, no matter what is thrown at her.—
Lisa Stardust,
People.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The festivities have included live concerts, cultural showcases, historic dedications and child-friendly activities designed to honor the city’s past while looking toward its future.—
Dontaira Terrell,
USA Today,
27 Oct. 2025
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As part of the holiday festivities, a new window of the former town hall is lit each night leading up to Christmas, like an architectural Advent calendar.—
Sophie Friedman,
AFAR Media,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The holiday cheer doesn’t stop here.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
22 Oct. 2025
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While the holidays are a time to spread cheer, for many families across the country this season can be wrapped with feelings of sadness, stress, or grief.—
Parents Editors,
Parents,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hilarity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hilarity. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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