Master confusing words with ease
Hilarious vs. Hysterical
Hilarious
/hɪˈleəriəs/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/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:
- Both words express a sense of extreme amusement or laughter but have slightly different nuances.
- Hilarious often refers to something very funny in a general sense—what makes people laugh hard due to its humor.
- Hysterical can imply uncontrollable laughter, often to the point of being overwhelmed or out of control by amusement.
- Remember hilarious is similar to hilarity, pointing to things that are comically joyful.
- Hysterical shares roots with hysteria, linking it to extreme or uncontrollable emotional responses.
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