hilarious

adjective

hi-ˈler-ē-əs How to pronounce hilarious (audio)
Definition of hilariousnext
as in funny
causing or intended to cause laughter hilarious cartoons that the whole family can enjoy the clown's hilarious antics

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of hilarious Throughout the filmmaking process, so many people shared their own moving and hilarious stories about their relationships, friendships, and families. — Adam Sztykiel, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026 With his top hat, black tails, and giant oversized head, Wake Forest University’s Demon Deacon has been called everything from hilarious to terrifying. — Katie Riley, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2026 The back-and-forth has spawned a torrent of hilarious memes, as well as an open invite from Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce’s Garage Beer brand to visit their spot anytime. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 16 Oct. 2026 Soon, however, the Kings’ fondness for probing the strangest possible intersections of legal practice pushes Cupertino in odd and hilarious directions. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hilarious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hilarious
  1. funny
  2. humorous
  3. comedic
  4. amusing
  5. comical
  6. ridiculous
  7. comic
  8. hysterical
Adjective
  • Divorced from the context of a map, Texas' congressional districts might just look like a collection of funny shapes.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • China did not find anything funny about the French star laughing at a meme of Mao, the communist dictator whose regime resulted in tens of millions of deaths.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of funny
Adjective
  • Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes recalled a humorous story about Bailey while speaking to reporters on Wednesday.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Absurd and darkly humorous drama, offering an unconventional take on aging, loneliness and human dignity.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of humorous
Adjective
  • Even the Harlem Globetrotters occasionally shelved their comedic antics for a night and sent out a highly competitive team to take on college basketball’s best.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Robertson traces Perry’s life as a child of divorce to a hopeful comedic actor to star of one of the biggest TV shows of all time.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of comedic
Adjective
  • Still, the episodes move along so fast and the bursts of talent emerge with enough frequency that Minimum Wage makes for an amusing, energetic, instantly disposable binge.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Some participants appreciate the light-hearted and good-natured humor, expressing gratitude and finding it timely and amusing.
    — Edith Pritchett, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of amusing
Adjective
  • Two young attendees at Sunday’s rally told the Herald/Times the attacks against Nixon translate to them as almost comical misinformation.
    — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The performance of total transparency could reach comical heights.
    — Alex Barasch, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of comical
Adjective
  • Halsey looks ridiculous in a green jacket with a red scarf for a sash.
    — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Everyone thinks their kids’ slang is ridiculous and their parents’ politics naive.
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of ridiculous
Adjective
  • This isn’t the first time real-world politics have informed comic writing.
    — Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The church elders’ comic banter brings the play to life, but a mother-daughter clash over faith, independence and gender politics feels underdeveloped, despite a visually striking production.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of comic
Adjective
  • Washington, a compelling performer, also is asked to be hysterical a bit too much.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
  • In Colorado, Deputy Mattie Walker makes a welfare check and discovers the body of a young mother with her hysterical toddler nearby.
    — Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of hysterical

Browse Nearby Words

hiking
hilarious
hilariousness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hilarious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hilarious. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of shindig

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All