hilarant

Hilarant is a French adjective meaning "hilarious" or "extremely funny," used to describe something that provokes strong laughter, such as a joke, a performance, a scene, or a situation. The term conveys intensity beyond everyday amusement and is commonly employed in informal and semi-formal registers.

It agrees in gender and number: hilarant (masculine singular), hilarante (feminine singular), hilarants (masculine plural), hilarantes (feminine plural). It can modify nouns directly, for example, des répliques hilarantes, or describe a person or moment that induces laughter.

Etymology traces hilarant to Latin hilaris, meaning cheerful or merry, which in turn derives from Greek hilaros. The word is related to the English hilarity and hilarious, via cognate roots, and to the noun hilarité in French.

Usage notes: In French, hilarant suggests a strong, contagious humor and is often used for jokes, comedies, or situations that literally cause laughter. It can be more forceful than drôle or comique, and in some contexts may carry a slightly ironic or exaggerated tone. In English, hilarant is rarely used as an ordinary adjective; the normal equivalents are hilarious or uproarious, with hilarant appearing mainly in linguistic discussion or as a borrowed stylistic choice.

Related terms include hilare, hilarité, and hilarious.