hilarious

hilarious — adjective

1. so amusing that it makes people laugh a great deal — used to describe a joke, pe

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

so amusing that it makes people laugh a great deal — used to describe a joke, performance, situation, or person that causes strong or repeated bursts of laughter.

Example

The video of the cat chasing its own tail was absolutely hilarious.

collocation: absolutely hilarious

Everyone at the party found Ravi's impression of the teacher hilarious.

pattern: find + noun + hilarious

Common collocations
  • absolutely hilarious
  • utterly hilarious
  • hilarious story
  • hilarious joke
  • hilarious video
  • hilarious moment
  • hilarious comedy
Synonyms
  • amusing

    much milder; suggests gentle pleasure rather than strong laughter

  • comical

    suggests deliberately silly or physical humour, often in a theatrical way

  • hysterical

    even stronger than hilarious; implies laughter that is hard to control

  • side-splitting

    informal and vivid; emphasises the physical effect of laughter

Antonyms
  • serious

    the opposite of anything meant to be funny

  • solemn

    formal and grave, without any trace of humour

Grammar Patterns

be + hilarious

find + noun + hilarious

Usage Note

Unlike funny, which can describe mild amusement, hilarious always points to a noticeably strong reaction. It is most common in informal and conversational settings rather than formal or academic writing.

Common Mistakes

The movie was hilarious but I only smiled a little.
The movie was hilarious
everyone in the cinema was laughing out loud.' — Hilarious implies intense laughter, not mild amusement.
She told a hilarious joke and nobody laughed.
She told a hilarious joke and the whole class burst out laughing.
The word hilarious should match the reaction it describes.

Word family

  • hilariously
    adverbC1
  • hilarity
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Hilarious sits at the strong end of the amusement scale. Amusing is the mildest — it describes something that brings a gentle smile but rarely loud laughter. Funny is the broadest and most neutral term; it covers everything from a quiet joke to a wildly entertaining story. Comical leans toward deliberate physical or theatrical humour (e.g. a character's exaggerated walk). Hysterical is the closest to hilarious in strength but suggests laughter that is almost out of control—sometimes even uncomfortable. A speech can be hilarious without being hysterical, but if people are doubled over and gasping, hysterical fits better. For everyday use, hilarious is the go-to word when you want to stress that something was not just funny but truly laughter-provoking.

amusing ↗funny ↗comicalhysterical

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • from start to finish
  • in a way that makes you laugh

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Hilarious comes from the Latin word hilaris (meaning 'cheerful' or 'merry'), which was borrowed from the Greek hilaros ('cheerful, joyful'). It entered English in the early 1800s, originally used in formal writing to describe a cheerful disposition, before shifting toward its modern sense of causing uproarious laughter.