sidesplitting

adjective

ˈsīd-ˌspli-tiŋ How to pronounce sidesplitting (audio)
Definition of sidesplittingnext
as in humorous
causing or intended to cause laughter his sidesplitting jokes usually have audiences helpless with laughter

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sidesplitting
  1. humorous
  2. comedic
  3. funny
  4. amusing
  5. comic
  6. comical
  7. entertaining
Adjective
  • This year's Ig Nobel Prizes — which are awarded for humorous, yet thought-provoking research — have been announced, but not on their home turf.
    — Ari Daniel, NPR, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Some of Sami’s videos also were humorous and self-deprecating.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of humorous
Adjective
  • Snatch is far more clever than many similar ensemble capers, with a real nasty edge that remains comedic rather than nihilistic.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Running eight episodes, Davidson teases that The Varnell Hill Show‘s first season will be an experience like no other, giving viewers a mix of comedic bits, interviews, and live performances.
    — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of comedic
Adjective
  • Occasionally, this appeared to be in jest (although not actually very funny).
    — Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Mulligan should win for her darkly funny, cringe-inducing turn, though Snook, Pidgeon and sentimental favorite Field are all in play too.
    — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of funny
Adjective
  • The show is generally amusing, sometimes very funny and easy to watch as an evolving story of family.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • That closeness, however, has made the internet’s speculation about their secret romantic arrangement particularly amusing to Bunny, who tells PEOPLE that there is no hidden relationship between the three.
    — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of amusing
Adjective
  • Looking ahead, Shergill says the next phase of growth will come from voices and comic worlds the platform has not yet tapped.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Martin Herlihy follows fellow Please Don’t Destroy nepo-comic John Higgins, the son of Steve Higgins, out the Studio 8H door — albeit one year (and one week) later.
    — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of comic
Adjective
  • The production, directed by Margaret Shigeko Starbuck, runs with the makeshift energy and comical freedom that this contextual shift allows.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The brothers pepper in POV shots of the climbers to literally put the audience in their shoes, but don’t overplay their hand, maintaining palpable reality even when the challenges mount to comical levels.
    — Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of comical
Adjective
  • Plus, Joe was and is much more entertaining than Christian has been.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Cristiano Ronaldo’s cameo for United against Bolton Wanderers a year earlier was entertaining, but Rooney’s debut was just stunning.
    — Amitai Winehouse, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of entertaining
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.

Browse Nearby Words

sides
sidesplitting
sidestep
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sidesplitting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sidesplitting. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of loath

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All