Laughter is weird. One minute you’re sipping coffee, and the next, a poorly timed joke sends that latte straight out your nose. You’re gasping for air. Your ribs hurt. You might even be crying. In that moment, you aren't just "amused." You’re experiencing something hilarious.
But let's be real for a second. We’ve collectively ruined this word. We text "lol that’s hilarious" while staring blankly at a screen with the emotional range of a stone gargoyle. We use it to describe a slightly quirky socks-and-sandals combo or a dry remark from a coworker.
So, what does hilarious mean, really?
If we look at the actual roots of the word, it’s not just about a chuckle. It’s about total, uncontrollable merriment. It’s high-octane funny. If something is truly hilarious, it should probably come with a warning for people with weak bladders.
The Etymology of the Guffaw
Words have ghosts. The ghost of "hilarious" is actually quite cheerful, unlike the dark origins of words like "sinister" or "clue." It comes from the Latin hilaris, which basically means "cheerful" or "merry." Even further back, the Greeks had hilaros.
Back then, it wasn't just about jokes. It was a vibe.
In the 1600s, if you were "hilarous" (the spelling was a bit of a mess back then), you were simply in high spirits. You were the life of the party, the person who brought the good energy. It wasn't until much later, around the mid-1800s, that the word shifted into the territory of "boisterously funny."
It’s an evolutionary leap. We went from "that guy is a pleasant fellow" to "that guy just made me fall off my chair laughing."
Why We Hyperbolize Everything
Language inflation is a real thing. It’s why "awesome" now describes both a breathtaking view of the Grand Canyon and a decent burrito.
✨ Don't miss: Charcoal Gas Smoker Combo: Why Most Backyard Cooks Struggle to Choose
When we ask what hilarious means today, we have to acknowledge the gap between the dictionary and the group chat. Louis C.K. famously had a bit about this—how we use up all our "big" words on mundane things. If a sandwich is "amazing" and a YouTube clip is "hilarious," what words do we have left for when something truly incredible or life-altering happens?
We’re left with nothing.
This linguistic "power creep" happens because humans are social creatures. We want to signal intensity. We want our friends to know we really liked the meme they sent. Just saying "that is funny" feels cold. It feels like a rejection. So, we upgrade to hilarious.
The Science of Extreme Laughter
What’s happening in your brain when something hits that hilarious threshold? It’s basically a neurological hijack.
Neurologist Sophie Scott has spent years studying laughter, and she points out that there’s a massive difference between "social laughter"—the polite "ha ha" we use to be nice—and "involuntary laughter."
True hilarity triggers the latter.
When you find something genuinely hilarious, your brain’s dopamine system goes into overdrive. Your prefrontal cortex, which usually keeps you acting like a dignified adult, loses its grip. Your breathing changes. Your intercostal muscles start spasming. This is why you can’t talk. You are physically incapable of articulating why a cat falling off a TV is funny because your body has prioritized oxygen and muscle contractions over speech.
It’s a primal release.
🔗 Read more: Celtic Knot Engagement Ring Explained: What Most People Get Wrong
The Difference Between Funny, Witty, and Hilarious
Not all humor is created equal. Understanding the nuance helps you use the right word at the right time.
Funny is the baseline. It’s the broad umbrella. A pun is funny. A sitcom is funny.
Witty is the intellectual cousin. It’s sharp. It’s Oscar Wilde or Dorothy Parker. Wit makes you smirk and think, "Oh, that was clever." It rarely makes you spit out your drink.
Hilarious is the heavy hitter. It’s visceral. It’s often physical or absurd. Think of the "Stephan" sketches on SNL or a classic "I Think You Should Leave" bit. It’s the kind of humor that feels like it’s attacking you.
There’s also comical, which usually implies something is funny in a slightly ridiculous or clumsy way. Like a dog trying to carry a stick that’s three times too wide for a doorway. That’s comical. If the dog then accidentally knocks over a pile of trash and looks confused, it might graduate to hilarious.
The Subjectivity Trap
Here’s the thing: what I find hilarious, you might find incredibly stupid.
Humor is perhaps the most subjective thing in human existence. It’s built on "Benign Violation Theory," a concept popularized by Peter McGraw and Caleb Warren. Essentially, for something to be hilarious, it has to be three things:
- A violation (something is wrong, weird, or threatening).
- Benign (it’s actually safe).
- Occurring simultaneously.
If a guy trips on the street, it’s a violation of how people should walk. If he gets up and laughs it off, it’s benign. It’s hilarious. If he stays down and starts bleeding, it’s no longer benign. The "hilarious" tag evaporates instantly.
💡 You might also like: Campbell Hall Virginia Tech Explained (Simply)
Context is the king of comedy. A joke told at a funeral might be "darkly hilarious" to one person and "deeply offensive" to another. The word itself carries that weight of extremity.
How to Use "Hilarious" Without Being a Liar
If you want to preserve the integrity of the word, stop using it for things that are just "okay."
Save it for the moments that actually break you.
Imagine you're describing a movie. If you say it was "hilarious," I expect to be laughing every three minutes. If I only chuckle twice, you’ve lied to me. You’ve committed a linguistic crime. Use "amusing" or "quite funny" instead. It’s okay to be moderate.
Actually, using lower-tier words makes "hilarious" mean more when you finally drop it.
Actionable Next Steps for the Word-Obsessed
If you’re looking to sharpen your vocabulary or just want to understand the mechanics of humor better, start paying attention to your physical reactions.
Next time you laugh, audit it:
- Did your breath catch? That’s the "hilarious" zone.
- Was it just a "pfft" through the nose? That’s "amusing."
- Did you do it just to make someone else feel good? That’s "social humor."
To truly master the art of the hilarious, look into the works of great physical comedians like Buster Keaton or modern masters of the "cringe-hilarious" like Nathan Fielder. Observe how they build tension (the violation) and then release it (the benign).
Don't just settle for the word. Seek the feeling. The next time you see something that makes you lose your breath and question your sanity, go ahead—call it hilarious. You've earned it.