hysterical Hear it!

hysterical Definition

hys·teri·cal (hi steri kəl)

adjective

  1. of or characteristic of hysteria
    1. like or suggestive of hysteria; emotionally uncontrolled and wild
    2. extremely comical
  2. having or subject to hysteria

Etymology: hysteric + -al

hysterical Related Forms
hys·teri·cally adverb
hysterical Synonyms

hysterical

modif.

convulsed, uncontrolled, raving, delirious, wildly emotional, psychoneurotic, unnerved, neurotic, resembling hysteria, spasmodic, emotional, rabid, emotionally disordered, distracted, morbidly excited, overexcited, fuming, distraught, unrestrained, possessed, wrought-up, fanatical, irrepressible, harrowed, convulsive, carried away, frothing, seething, beside oneself, rampant, out of one's wits, turbulent, mad, affected with hysteria, suffering from hysteria, uncontrollable, agitated, raging, frenzied, uproarious, incensed, confused, tempestuous, maddened, blazing, crazy, impetuous, crazed, furious, violent, boiling, impassioned, panic-stricken, nervous, vehement, overwrought, fiery, passionate, cracked wide open*, in a frazzle*, in a fit*, jittery*, amuck*, tempest-tossed*, wild-eyed*, on a laughing jag*, on a crying jag*; see also angry, excited, frantic, troubled 1.

hysterical Usage Examples

Modifying Another Word

  • almost: The Tablet's reaction, for a time, was almost hysterical.
  • slightly: I hope you guys are fairing better than me and once again thanks for helping a slightly hysterical female!
  • increasingly: Are these increasingly hysterical statements from Michael Howard signs, perhaps, of a guilty conscience?
  • absolutely: Add your review Karen - " Hysterical " I thought this comedy was absolutely hysterical!
  • rather: He opens with an attack on " the rather hysterical reaction of successive health secretaries " over PM organ retention.
  • sometimes: There is no specific brief, which gives rise to a varied, eclectic and sometimes hysterical montage of images and storytelling.

Preposition: with

  • laughter: Of course, by the time I had registered what had happened, I was hysterical with laughter.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

  • get: The anti-smoking mob do get a bit hysterical at times.

Modifies a noun

  • laughter: What I didn't mention was Dan's hysterical laughter which lasted about 5 minutes.
  • over-reaction: They donât like dissent in Carterton, and the almost hysterical over-reaction of the police to the march was evidence of this.
  • outburst: I hope you will think more carefully, and moderate your rather hysterical outbursts in the future.
  • paralysis: These included strange behavior, bizarre gaits and, most famously, hysterical paralysis or mutism.
  • rant: A cool calculated letter is likely to have more impact than a hysterical rant.
  • reaction: I did not dare to bite my victim's necks for fear of a hysterical reaction from the public.

Used with adjective complement

  • become: Children who become hysterical on seeing a bee or wasp invite further stings.
  • get: Jed: [ His voice getting hysterical ] It took fourteen hours!
  • go: Bernie comes home, finds his mother and goes hysterical.
  • seem: Some of the rantings of David Strathairn's Senator Estes Kefauver seem hysterical when set against the context of what's permissable today.
  • grow: As he redoubled his efforts so the mirth of the audience grew more hysterical.
  • find: Also a game she finds hysterical of standing on her own and then leaning forward until she falls over into my arms!

Browse dictionary entries near hysterical

  1. hysteric
  2. hysteria
  3. hysteresis
  4. hysterectomy
  5. hyssop
  6. hyson
  7. Hyrcania
  8. hyrax
  9. hyracoid
  10. hypsometry
  1. hystero-
  2. hysteroid
  3. hysteron proteron
  4. hysterotomy
  5. hystricomorphic
  6. Hz
  7. i
  8. I-beam
  9. I-bond
  10. I Ching