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mass hysteria

American

noun

Psychology.

a condition affecting a group of persons, characterized by excitement or anxiety, irrational behavior or beliefs, or inexplicable symptoms of illness.

Etymology

Origin of mass hysteria

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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mass hysteria

This is very bad, although hardly a Ghostbusters-style, apocalyptic vision that includes human sacrifice and mass hysteria.

From Barron's ● May 1, 2026

She has them read books such as The Crucible and the Lord of the Flies to teach about the dangers of mass hysteria and group vilification.

From Slate ● Dec. 5, 2025

In some cases, they have attributed reported health-effects from fume exposure to factors including hyperventilation, jet lag, psychological stress, mass hysteria and malingering.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2025

The Killers concluded their set with two consecutive different renditions of their eternal anthem Mr Brightside - the first a surprising synth reworking - prompting mass hysteria.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2023

But the press and the Princeton study painted a picture of nationwide mass hysteria.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023