hysteria
noun
hys·te·ria
hi-ˈster-ē-ə 
-ˈstir-
-ˈstir-
1
: a psychoneurosis marked by emotional excitability and disturbances of the psychogenic, sensory, vasomotor, and visceral (see visceral sense 4) functions
2
: behavior exhibiting overwhelming or unmanageable fear or emotional excess
political hysteria
The plague had caused mass hysteria in the village.
Synonyms
Examples of hysteria in a Sentence
A few of the children began to scream, and soon they were all caught up in the hysteria.
Wartime hysteria led to many unfair accusations of treachery.
The spreading of the disease caused mass hysteria in the village.
Recent Examples on the Web
This yearslong wave of mass hysteria came to be known as the satanic panic.
—
Judy Berman, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
Prior to its premiere at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, Bong Joon-ho predicted audiences wouldn’t understand explicit cultural elements in Parasite, a black comedy leaning heavily into class hysteria.
—Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 28 Oct. 2024
Keep your eyes peeled for human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together and mass hysteria on 9th East.
—Erin Alberty, Axios, 24 Oct. 2024
Although reports of Beyoncé stumping for Harris have been wrong before — a false alarm during the Democratic convention led to hysteria and then disappointment — news of her appearance this week is better-sourced and from several reputable publications.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hysteria 
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.
Judy Berman, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
Prior to its premiere at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, Bong Joon-ho predicted audiences wouldn’t understand explicit cultural elements in Parasite, a black comedy leaning heavily into class hysteria.
—Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 28 Oct. 2024
Keep your eyes peeled for human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together and mass hysteria on 9th East.
—Erin Alberty, Axios, 24 Oct. 2024
Although reports of Beyoncé stumping for Harris have been wrong before — a false alarm during the Democratic convention led to hysteria and then disappointment — news of her appearance this week is better-sourced and from several reputable publications.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hysteria
Articles Related to hysteria
Dictionary Entries Near hysteria
Cite this Entry
“Hysteria.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hysteria. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hysteria
noun
hys·te·ria
his-ˈter-ē-ə
-ˈtir-
-ˈtir-
1
: a nervous disorder marked by excitability of the emotions
2
: unmanageable fear or outburst of emotion
Medical Definition
hysteria
noun
hys·te·ria
his-ˈter-ē-ə
-ˈtir-
-ˈtir-
1
a
: a psychoneurosis marked by emotional excitability and disturbances of the psychic, sensory, vasomotor, and visceral functions without an organic basis
b
: a similar condition in domestic animals
2
: behavior exhibiting overwhelming or unmanageable fear or emotional excess
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share