different between exhilarate vs hilarious

English

Etymology

From Latin exhilar?re (“to delight, to gladden, to make merry”), from ex- (“out, away”) (from Proto-Indo-European *h?e??s (“out”)) + hilar?re, present infinitive of hilar? (“to cheer, to gladden”), from hilaris (“cheerful, light-hearted, lively”) (from Ancient Greek ?????? (hilarós, “cheerful, merry”), from ????? (hílaos, “gracious, kind, propitious”), from Proto-Indo-European *s?lh?- (“comfort, mercy”)).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /???z?l??e?t/, /??-/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /???z?l???e?t/, /??-/
• (General American)
• Hyphenation: ex?hil?a?rate

Verb

exhilarate (third-person singular simple present exhilarates, present participle exhilarating, simple past and past participle exhilarated)

1. (transitive) To cheer, to cheer up, to gladden, to make happy.
2. (transitive) To excite, to thrill.
   • 1932, Dorothy L Sayers, Have his Carcase, Chapter 12.

     Harriet became suddenly conscious that every woman in the room was gazing furtively or with frank interest at Wimsey and herself, and the knowledge exhilarated her.

Synonyms

• (to cheer): enliven, stimulate

Derived terms

• exhilarating
• exhilarant
• exhilaratingly
• exhilaration
• exhilarator
• exhilaratory

Related terms

• hilarious
• hilariously
• hilariousness
• hilarity
• Hilary

Translations

Further reading

• exhilarate in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• exhilarate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Latin

Verb

exhilar?te

1. second-person plural present active imperative of exhilar?

English

Etymology

From Latin hilaris (“cheerful”), from Ancient Greek ?????? (hilarós, “cheerful, merry”), from ????? (hílaos, “propitious, gracious, kind”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /h??l???i?s/
• (US) IPA^(key): /h??le?i?s/, /ha??le?i?s/
• (New England) IPA^(key): /h??læ?i?s/, /ha??læ?i?s/
• (Mary–marry–merry distinction) (New England)
• Rhymes: -??ri?s

Adjective

hilarious (comparative more hilarious, superlative most hilarious)

1. Very funny; causing great merriment and laughter.

2. Full of hilarity; merry.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:funny

Derived terms

• hilarity
• hilariously
• hilariousness

Related terms

• exhilarate
• exhilaration
• Hilary

Translations