hysterical

adjective

hys·​ter·​i·​cal hi-ˈster-i-kəl How to pronounce hysterical (audio)
1
or less commonly hysteric : of, relating to, or marked by hysteria
hysterical conditions
2
: feeling or showing extreme and unrestrained emotion
hysterical fans
… the paper did not hesitate to appeal to racial passions in hysterical headlines and rabid editorials.The New Yorker
3
informal : very funny
a hysterical movie/joke
hysterically adverb

Examples of hysterical in a Sentence

some of the things little kids come out with are hysterical the police officer assured the mother that there was no need to get hysterical, for most missing children are found safe and sound upon hearing the announcement that a shark had been sighted, hysterical beachgoers raced out of the water
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.
One reporter said the fight should be called off, that Clay was hysterical and was endangering himself. Mikal Gilmore, Rolling Stone, 17 Jan. 2025 His hysterical and paranoid tenor made this easy to dismiss as excuse-making for his difficulties governing in his first term and his myriad legal problems. Jeannie Suk Gersen, The New Yorker, 16 Jan. 2025 A little after midnight on New Year’s Day, Francine Sohn was jolted awake by a phone call from a neighbor, who sounded hysterical. Jon Schuppe, NBC News, 11 Jan. 2025 The hysterical footage garnered 14,600 likes and 329,000 views. Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for hysterical 

Word History

First Known Use

1603, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hysterical was in 1603

Dictionary Entries Near hysterical

Cite this Entry

“Hysterical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hysterical. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

hysterical

adjective
hys·​ter·​i·​cal his-ˈter-i-kəl How to pronounce hysterical (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or marked by hysteria
2
: feeling or showing unrestrained emotion
hysterical fans
3
informal : very funny
hysterically adverb

Medical Definition

hysterical

adjective
hys·​ter·​i·​cal -ˈter-i-kəl How to pronounce hysterical (audio)
variants also hysteric
: of, relating to, or marked by hysteria
during hysterical conditions various functions of the human body are disorderedMorris Fishbein
hysterically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on hysterical

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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