different between hilarious vs droll

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

English

Etymology

From French drôle (“comical, odd, funny”), from drôle (“buffoon”) from Middle French drolle (“a merry fellow, pleasant rascal”) from Old French drolle (“one who lives luxuriously”), from Middle Dutch drol (“fat little man, goblin”) from Old Norse troll (“giant, troll”) (compare Middle High German trolle (“clown”)), from Proto-Germanic *truzl? (“creature which walks clumsily”), from *truzlan? (“to walk with short steps”). Doublet of troll.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /d???l/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /d?o?l/
• Rhymes: -??l

Adjective

droll (comparative droller, superlative drollest)

1. Oddly humorous; whimsical, amusing in a quaint way; waggish.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:witty

Derived terms

• drollery
• drollness
• drolly

Translations

Noun

droll (plural drolls)

1. (archaic) A funny person; a buffoon, a wag.
   • 1751, Tobias Smollett, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle, vol I, ch. 34:

     The lieutenant was a droll in his way, Peregrine possessed a great fund of sprightliness and good humour, and Godfrey, among his other qualifications already recited, sung a most excellent song […] .

Verb

droll (third-person singular simple present drolls, present participle drolling, simple past and past participle drolled)

1. (archaic) To jest, to joke.

Anagrams

• roll'd

Icelandic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tr?tl/
• Rhymes: -?tl

Noun

droll n (genitive singular drolls, no plural)

1. dawdling, loitering

Declension

Related terms

• drolla