Etymology Map
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Hilarious

3 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means extremely funny

Where does the word "hilarious" come from? It comes from Greek hilaros, passing through Latin before entering English (1820s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
hilaros
Greek · ancient
"cheerful"
Greek, the root of 'hilarity'
2
Stage 2 of 3
hilaris
Latin · ancient
"cheerful"
also gave the names Hilary and Hilaire
3
Stage 3 of 3
hilarious
English · 1820s
"cheerful"
the sense 'extremely funny' dates from the 1900s
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Read the full story

Hilarious’s story begins in Greek: hilaros meant “cheerful.” Greek, the root of 'hilarity'. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Latin as hilaris. Also gave the names Hilary and Hilaire. It reached English by 1820s as hilarious. The sense 'extremely funny' dates from the 1900s. Today, hilarious means extremely funny.