mirth
UK /mɜːθ/ · US /mɜɹθ/ noun
Forms mirths
- noun The emotion usually following humor and accompanied by laughter.
- noun That which causes merriment.
Synonyms
merriment delight glee hilarity jollity gaiety blitheness blithesomeness cheerfulness cheeriness contentness contentedness delightedness elatedness elation exuberance exuberantness felicity gayness gayfulness mirthfulness gleefulness
Antonyms
sadness gloom mirthless blueness tristesse blues crestfallenness dejection depression despondency distress dolefulness
Etymology
From Middle English merth, myrthe, murhthe, from Old English myrgþ (“mirth, joy”), from Proto-West Germanic *murgiþu (“briefness, brevity”); equivalent to merry + -th (abstract nominal suffix). Cognate with Middle Dutch merchte (“pleasure, joy, delight”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun Merriment; gayety accompanied with laughter; jollity.
- noun That which causes merriment. [Obs.] Shak.
Etymology [OE. mirthe, murthe, merthe, AS. myredh, myrgedh, merhedh, mirhedh. See Merry.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “mirth”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details