hysterical
Americanadjective
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uncontrollably emotional.
-
irrational from fear, emotion, or an emotional shock.
-
causing unrestrained laughter; very funny.
Oh, that joke is hysterical!
- Synonyms:
- ludicrous, laughable, uproarious, hilarious
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Psychoanalysis, Psychiatry.
adjective
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of or suggesting hysteria
hysterical cries
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suffering from hysteria
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informal wildly funny
Usage
More context on hysterical In everyday usage, hysterical means "uncontrollably emotional."But guess who usually gets marked with that label? Women. What’s more, hysterical comes from the Greek word for "womb." It was once thought that hysteria was a condition that only affected women—and was caused by disturbances in the uterus.
Given the sexism associated with this word, hysterical isn’t exactly a laughing matter.
If knowing the history of hysterical has got you reflecting on your word choices, this slideshow, "These Common Words Have Offensive Histories," discusses many other words whose place in your vocab you may want to reconsider.Other Word Forms
- hysterically adverb
- overhysterical adjective
- posthysterical adjective
- semihysterical adjective
- unhysterical adjective
Etymology
Origin of hysterical
First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin hysteric(us) hysteric + -al 1
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.
“All the boys have them,” one female White House aide told the Journal, while another joked that “it’s hysterical because everybody’s afraid not to wear them.”
From Slate • Mar. 14, 2026
Lader, 40, described "grabbing babies who were being schlepped across the street, and finding parents who were hysterical that their kids weren't here."
From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026
Parents who say they warned childcare bosses about a predatory nursery worker months before he was caught have told the BBC they felt ignored and were made to feel "hysterical".
From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026
Giving actors the freedom to have fun is what makes Guest’s films so hysterical.
From Salon • Feb. 5, 2026
She jumps anyway, all hysterical, but then smiles once she realizes it’s just me.
From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson
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.
