English Explanatory Dictionary

mirth

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The emotion usually following humor and accompanied by laughter.
  2. That which causes merriment.

Pronunciation

/mɜɹθ/ [mɝθ] mûrth /mɜːθ/ en-us-mirth.ogg

Word forms

mirth mirths

Etymology

From Middle English merth, myrthe, murhthe, from Old English myrġþ (“mirth, joy”), from Proto-West Germanic *murgiþu (“briefness, brevity”); equivalent to merry + -th (abstract nominal suffix). Cognate with Middle Dutch merchte (“pleasure, joy, delight”).

Synonyms

merriment delight glee hilarity jollity gaiety blitheness blithesomeness cheerfulness cheeriness contentness contentedness delightedness elatedness elation exuberance exuberantness felicity gayness gayfulness gladness gladsomeness gleefulness gleesomeness happiness high spirits jolliness joviality jovialness joy joyfulness joyousness liss merriness mirth mirthfulness pleasedness

Antonyms

sadness gloom mirthless blueness tristesse blues crestfallenness dejection depression despondency distress dolefulness downheartedness drearihead forlornness grief heartsore ill-being infelicity melancholia melancholy misery mishappiness mourn prosternation regret rue ruth sorrow sorrowfulness tristfulness undelight unhappiness woe woefare wretchedness

Derived words

mirthful mirthfully mirthfulness mirthless mirthlessly mirthlessness mirthquake mirthsome mirthy

Translations

Bulgarian: веселие Bulgarian: радост Chinese Mandarin: 歡笑 /欢笑 Chinese Mandarin: 愉快 Chinese Mandarin: 高興 /高兴 Czech: veselí Danish: munterhed Danish: fryd Danish: glæde Dutch: vrolijkheid Esperanto: gajeco Finnish: ilo Finnish: hilpeys French: gaieté Georgian: მხიარულება Georgian: სიმხიარულე Georgian: სიხარული German: Fröhlichkeit German: Belustigung German: Freude Greek: ευθυμία Greek: κέφι Ancient Greek: εὐφροσύνη Hebrew: צהלול Italian: gioia Italian: allegria Japanese: 笑い Japanese: 遊び Japanese: 喜び Japanese: 歓楽 Malayalam: ആഹ്ലാദം Plautdietsch: Freid Portuguese: alegria Portuguese: júbilo Russian: ра́дость Russian: весе́лье Scottish Gaelic: sogan Spanish: felicidad Spanish: alegría Spanish: júbilo Swedish: munterhet Swedish: glädje Tagalog: kasayahan Tagalog: katuwaan Tagalog: kaligayahan Ukrainian: веселощі Ukrainian: радість
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