Hilarious-Hysterical | Commonly Confused Words
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Master confusing words with ease

Hilarious vs. Hysterical

Hilarious

/hɪˈleəriəs/
Extremely funny and causing a lot of laughter

Examples:

His stories had everyone in stitches with laughter.The parrot's repeated phrases were utterly hilarious.Anna can't stop giggling at that hilarious video.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Hysterical

/hɪˈsterɪkəl/
To be in a state of uncontrollable emotion, especially laughter or crying

Examples:

She burst into hysterical laughter at the comedy show.The movie left the audience in hysterical tears.His hysterical rant made the whole bus stare.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Ways to tell them apart:

etymology
  • Hilarious is generally used to describe something that is extremely funny.
  • Hysterical can mean the same as hilarious but can also refer to an uncontrollable emotional condition.
  • Consider hilarious when you want to describe a joke, movie, or story that makes you laugh a lot.
  • Hysterical might be used to describe over-the-top laughter or when someone is overwhelmed with emotion.
  • Think of a hysteria, which is a state of wild excitement or panic, to remember the double meaning of hysterical.
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