Word
hilarity
Phoneticshi·lar·i·ty, stress on the second syllable
US/hɪˈɫɛɹəti/
UK/hɪlˈæɹɪti/
Uncountable noun
Definition
n. a lot of laughter and fun. You use this to describe a situation that is very funny and full of excitement.
n. a state of great amusement and laughter; a period of intense mirth. Often used to describe a social event or a specific moment of high entertainment.
Examples
“The party was full of hilarity and music.”
“The children's laughter and general hilarity filled the entire park during the summer festival.”
“What began as a simple dinner party quickly devolved into a night of unbridled hilarity, with guests sharing increasingly absurd stories that kept the conversation alive until dawn.”
Examples
simple
“The party was full of hilarity and music.”
contextual
“The children's laughter and general hilarity filled the entire park during the summer festival.”
complex
“What began as a simple dinner party quickly devolved into a night of unbridled hilarity, with guests sharing increasingly absurd stories that kept the conversation alive until dawn.”
Real-World Examples
“But it was also an era when, after Mel Brooks’s The Producers, the media’s chattering classes were alive to the hilarity of so-bad-it’s-good.” Etymology
From Latin hilaritās (“cheerfulness”), from hilaris (“cheerful”), from Ancient Greek ἱλαρός (hilarós, “cheerful”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944EikenEikenTest in Practical English ProficiencyThe English proficiency test from the Eiken Foundation of Japan, widely taken by Japanese students. Grades run from 5 to 1, with Pre-1 and Pre-2 between them.Pre-1
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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