mirthful

UK: /ˈmɜːθfʊl/ US: (mûrth′fəl)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

mirth•ful  (mûrth′fəl), adj. 

1. joyous;
   gay;
   jolly:
   a mirthful laugh.
2. providing mirth;
   amusing:
   a mirthful experience.

• 1275–1325; Middle English; see mirth, -ful

mirth′ful•ly, adv. 
mirth′ful•ness, n. 

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

mirth /mɜrθ/   n. [uncountable]

1. amusement, esp. with laughter:
   He laughed softly, but with no real mirth.

mirth•ful, adj. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

mirth  (mûrth), n. 

1. gaiety or jollity, esp. when accompanied by laughter:
   the excitement and mirth of the holiday season.
2. amusement or laughter:
   He was unable to conceal his mirth.

• Middle English mirthe, Old English myrgth. See merry, -th¹ bef. 900

mirth′less, adj. 
Synonyms

• 1, 2. Mirth, glee, hilarity, merriment, jollity, joviality refer to the gaiety characterizing people who are enjoying the companionship of others.
  Mirth suggests spontaneous amusement or gaiety, manifested briefly in laughter:
  uncontrolled outbursts of mirth.
  Glee suggests an effervescence of high spirits or exultation, often manifested in playful or ecstatic gestures; it may apply also to a malicious rejoicing over mishaps to others:
  glee over the failure of a rival.
  Hilarity implies noisy and boisterous mirth, often exceeding the limits of reason or propriety:
  hilarity aroused by practical jokes.
  Merriment suggests fun, good spirits, and good nature rather than the kind of wit and sometimes artificial funmaking that cause hilarity:
  The house resounded with music and sounds of merriment.
  Jollity and joviality may refer either to a general atmosphere of mirthful festivity or to the corresponding traits of individuals.
  Jollity implies an atmosphere of easy and convivial gaiety, a more hearty merriment or a less boisterous hilarity:
  The holiday was a time of jollity.
  Joviality implies a more mellow merriment generated by people who are hearty, generous, benevolent, and high-spirited:
  the joviality of warm-hearted friends.

Antonyms

• 1. gloom.