hysterically
Americanadverb
-
in an unrestrained or uncontrolled way.
Whatever she’s thinking comes out her mouth, so the whole team was hysterically laughing at her commentary on our game films.
Keisha slid to the damp pavement in a heap and buried her face in her hands, sobbing hysterically.
-
in a way that is very funny.
My friend's daughter is hysterically paranoid about autoflush toilets, so we’re always on the lookout for a traditional toilet just in case.
-
stemming from or caused by conversion disorder.
A group of hysterically blind Cambodian women in California are the largest group of such people known in the world.
Other Word Forms
- semihysterically adverb
- unhysterically adverb
Etymology
Origin of hysterically
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.
In the Before, I might have sobbed hysterically after our reunion with Mom.
From Literature
George Atallah attended 16 consecutive Super Bowls when he was an executive at the NFL Players Association, and he laughed hysterically when he learned about this confluence of events.
The White House posted an image of Black activist Nekima Levy Armstrong being arrested after involvement in a Minnesota church protest depicting her hysterically crying.
From Salon
When I say, “Mom?” she starts hysterically crying.
From Literature
Mrs. Maroney wailed hysterically, clutching a bulky canvas bag to her chest.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
