: gladness or gaiety as shown by or accompanied with laughter
His clumsy attempt at dancing caused much mirth.
mirthful adjective
mirthfully adverb
mirthfulness noun

Examples of mirth in a Sentence

Her clumsy attempt to cut the cake was the cause of much mirth. as charming as your mutual mirth is, could you refrain from nudging each other and giggling during class?
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To some observers, the incessant joking was the sort of heartless mirth that social media had been running on for decades. Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025 The mirth carries with it an undercurrent of Tyla’s particular brand of charisma. Funmi Fetto, Vogue, 25 Feb. 2025 As Pagliacci and Smokey Robinson could tell you, there’s nothing new about the intersection of mirth and melancholy. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Dec. 2024 While that occasion caused much mirth, neighbors in Washington were not pleased with the mass of masked marauders. Alexander Smith, NBC News, 10 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for mirth

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English myrgth, from myrge merry — more at merry

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mirth was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mirth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mirth. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

mirth

noun
: gaiety accompanied by laughter

More from Merriam-Webster on mirth

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